Moving On
by FrogtownStamper
Summary: What if Harm hadn't wanted to come back to JAG the day Admiral Chegwidden went out to the Blacksburg airport to see him.
1. Chapter 1

Standard Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, I'm just taking them out to play. Not profiting from their usage, other than that of my own personal enjoyment. Hopefully, you all enjoy it as well.

For the series timeline, this takes place after "Back in the Saddle" and the less than warm offer extended by Admiral Chegwidden for Harm to return to JAG. So basically, ignore everything that happens in the rest of Season 9 and all of Season 10.

November 7, 2003

Harmon Rabb's Apartment – North of Union Station

2200 Eastern

The soft sound of classic blues could be heard from within the apartment, as Harm laid on the bed. His thoughts had been in a jumble ever since he'd left the Grace Aviation hanger that afternoon, following the Admiral's unexpected visit. Harm had been hard pressed not to laugh in the man's face during the confrontation with Mattie. To make matters even richer was the look on the Admiral's face when Harm had actually confronted him about the REAL reason that he was there. The only reason was that he needed Harm to come back and fix the mess that he'd made and his only concession was "we'll start fresh".

Harm had no great desire to "start fresh". He'd been on that merry-go-round enough to know the inherent lie those words contained. There was too much shared history involved for a truly fresh start, too many hurtful words slung at him by a man he'd once respected. Add to that the fact that Harm found himself enjoying being essentially his own boss, though he actually worked for Mattie, and he was getting in as much flying as he could want. The only fly in the ointment was Mattie and her missing father. Harm knew that eventually he would have to bring that situation to the attention of the appropriate authorities.

Harm was tired of it all and more than ready to move on with his life. Going back to JAG felt like defeat, resignation and caving in to pressure. Even when the Admiral had been asking him to come back, the man couldn't bring himself to praise Harm's work. Add in the fact that the Admiral seemed to believe that Harm needed to straighten up before he would ever find happiness grated on him.

No, he wouldn't be going back to JAG. He wouldn't put himself in that position again, where those he'd thought were his friends could turn their backs on him. Maybe being a crop duster wasn't what they thought he should be doing, but Harm wasn't overly concerned about the opinions of others. He was who he was and if that wasn't good enough for some people, then so be it.

November 13, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

0954 Eastern

The collective temperature of the bullpen seemed to have dropped by 5 degrees with the Admiral's passage through from the conference room to his office. Fortunately, or unfortunately, nobody in the office seemed to know why his attitude had turned even more hostile. It had been bad when the man had arrived that morning, but when Petty Officer Coates had delivered the morning's mail was when things turned even worse.

What nobody knew was that there had been an envelope within the pile of mail, a letter from former Commander Rabb detailing the reasons he wasn't interested in returning to either the Judge Advocates General Corps of the United States Navy or even the Navy altogether. Neither did anybody in the office know, except maybe Jennifer Coates, that the Admiral had visited Harm the previous week.

'I offered to bring the man back, to start over fresh,' AJ thought, a thoroughly pissed off expression on his face. 'And this is how he responds.'

The letter couldn't have been any more damning if Rabb had tried.

"While I appreciate the offer extended, I truly don't believe at this time that such a 'fresh start' would be possible. Too much has happened for me to believe that I could ever work with or for the people associated with the current staff of JAG Headquarters. From my perspective, the speed with which my resignation was processed and accepted indicates that you were happy to be rid of my presence. Further, I truly believe that if not for the current situation facing your office, that you would never have asked for my return. Therefore, I have no wish to have my commission reinstated and respectfully request that no attempt be made to do so."

'The sheer gall of that man,' AJ thought angrily. He knew he was being unfair, but Rabb's continued flouting of his commanding officer's authority had finally worn AJ out. So, there was some truth to be found in the letter. AJ really didn't want Rabb back, because he believed that it would set a bad precedent for the other staff. He couldn't let the belief be formed that they could just ignore him whenever he issued commands they didn't like or agree with and that's what AJ believed would happen if they saw Rabb come back as if nothing had ever happened.

The problem was, with Rabb refusing his offer to come back, the situation still remained. There were hundreds of cases that would have to be reviewed, verdicts possibly vacated and new trials ordered depending on the outcome of those reviews. Even worse, there were still new cases being sent to Headquarters for further action that couldn't be delayed simply because for the Imes issue. The defendants all had a right to speedy trials. AJ knew his staff needed help in order to prevent themselves from being completely swamped with cases, which meant that he would have to go to SECNAV and request permission to bring in more lawyers. More staff meant more money, meaning that the budget would have to be completely reworked or additional funds would have to be found.

"Coates," AJ bellowed, bringing the Petty Officer scurrying into his office.

"Yes, Sir?"

"I need a complete listing of all JAG officers in the O-4 and O-5 pay grades, including duty station. I also need a complete list of all attorneys in the Navy and Marine Corps that are not JAG designated, including present duty station and complete background check. Get the first part back to me ASAP!"

"Aye, aye, Sir!"

When Coates left the office, AJ turned to look out the window. A thought was pushing at the back of his mind and AJ was shocked that it hadn't occurred to him before that moment. If Rabb refused to voluntarily return, then AJ would simply make the Commander an offer he couldn't refuse. A wicked half smile came to his face as he contemplated the hard work he would stick Rabb with, especially in light of the letter refusing to return to active duty.

With those somewhat pleasant thoughts in mind, AJ picked up the telephone and called the SECNAV's office. Once he had explained the situation and then his ideas on how to at least partially fix the problems, SECNAV had been more than happy to grant AJ's request. Within the hour, orders were sent over to JAG involuntarily recalling one Commander Harmon Rabb to active duty and directing him to report to JAG Headquarters for duty. As an added measure, AJ had one of the Marine guards detailed to hand-carry a set of the orders to Rabb's apartment, with orders not to return until the orders were signed for.

Harmon Rabb's Apartment – North of Union Station

2218 Eastern

The sound of the elevator caused the Marine Sergeant to snap to attention. He had spent most of the day waiting for the apartment's occupant to return from wherever he had been and so had taken to leaning against the doorway. It was only when someone seemed to be coming that he had braced himself before relaxing once the possible arrival had passed without stopping on this floor.

This time, however, the elevator did stop. As the doors opened, he could see that it did contain the man he had been waiting for. 'Finally,' the Sergeant thought. 'I can get this done and head for home.' What was so important that he had wasted an entire day, he couldn't even begin to guess to, but orders were orders and that was all that he was required to know.

"Commander Rabb, Sir?"

"Yes," Harm replied as he exited the elevator. An uneasy feeling came as he took in the Marine Sergeant and the clipboard that was being extended.

"Admiral Chegwidden's compliments, Sir," the Sergeant said as he held out the clipboard and the envelope it held. "If you could just sign for acceptance of the envelope, Sir."

Harm realized that he had no choice and with the air of a condemned man being led to the gallows, he signed his name and took the envelope. With a nod to the Sergeant, he opened the door to his apartment and went inside before opening the letter and read his orders.

"That son of a bitch!" Harm growled, consumed by anger and a feeling of betrayal. Harm was angry with himself for failing to foresee this possibility, as well as for failing to adequately take into account the desperation that had been evidenced by the Admiral's visit to him. There was also anger at that Admiral for taking this step, after Harm had declined the Admiral's invitation.

'Well, if this is how that old bastard wants to play this, so be it,' Harm thought. 'I just need to fall back on the old Academy standard of "Yes, Sir", "No, Sir" and "No excuse, Sir". Don't give him any excuse and try to get through this as painlessly as possible.'

Taking several deep breaths, Harm was finally able to master him emotions and relax enough so that he could get on with the tasks of preparing for the next day. To begin with, Harm took out his service blues and checked them over. Judging it to be acceptable, he then found his cover and set it out as well. With that finished, Harm picked up his guitar and walked into the living room. Taking a seat facing the window, he started to play, alternating between up-tempo rock and slower blues. Harm never made a conscious choice in the songs or style, just letting the music flow along with his emotions. By the time he went to bed, he'd achieved a remarkable level of peace.


	2. Chapter 2

November 14, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

0656 Eastern

Harm marched through the bullpen, having signed in downstairs and received a building pass. Skipping the break room and a cup of coffee, he headed straight for the Admiral's office. A shocked Petty Officer Coates snapped quickly to attention.

"Is the Admiral in?" Harm asked in a subdued voice.

"Yes, Sir," was the quick response, followed by a reach for the intercom. "Commander Rabb to see you, Sir."

A pregnant pause followed, as AJ was definitely not expecting Rabb to be here quite so early. He had rather expected Rabb to do as he had always done, come in close to staff call. This was almost two hours before that and more than an hour before Rabb would have normally showed up. AJ was not certain what to make of this, but hoped that it was simply a case of reporting for duty and trying to get everything squared away before the start of the normal day.

"Send him in, Coates," AJ finally responded.

A sharp rap on the door was followed by an equally quick "Enter". Harm marched to the Admiral's desk, snapped to attention and stood stock still.

"Commander Harmon Rabb, reporting for duty as ordered, Sir!"

"At ease, Commander," AJ replied, frowning slightly when Harm elected to remain in the attention position. AJ realized what Harm was doing after moment and sighed inwardly. Harm was building silent walls around himself and the rest of the staff, starting with the Admiral.

"Commander Rabb, you have been recalled to active duty because of a critical shortage of JAG officers in your pay grade. Also, because of the knowledge you possess with regards to the cases currently under review due to Commander Imes' conviction. You primary responsibility will, therefore, be the review of those cases, preparing a written report with regards to those cases for review by myself and Admiral Morris. Additionally, you will be helping to clear the backlog of cases that have resulted from this. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir! Understood, Sir!"

Something in the tone that those few words carried troubled AJ. The respect was there, but so was a hint of anger. This needed to be addressed, now rather than later and in this private setting rather than letting it blow up somewhere less so.

"Is there a problem with this, Commander?" AJ asked, a shade of ice filling his voice.

"Not a problem, Sir. No, more in the nature of confusion, Sir," Harm responded, still keeping his eyes focused on a point above the Admiral's head, rather than meeting the man's eye.

"Good ahead, Commander."

"Six months ago, when I wanted to return to JAG, I was told by you that I was not a team player. I was told that I was controlled by my emotions. I was told that my request to resign my commission had been accepted and that I was a civilian. I accepted that and moved on with my life. Then, last week you came to me and said that you would be willing to accept me back under the right circumstances. I chose to decline that offer, because I've moved on. Now, despite my wishes, you have elected to have me involuntarily recalled."

"Watch your tone, Commander!" AJ bellowed. "I had you recalled because your skills are needed here, not playing at being a crop duster! You will carry out your orders or I will have you up on charges, is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Harm replied. "I will be resubmitting my request to resign my commission, Sir. Failing that, I will be requesting a transfer to any available open JAG posting, Sir."

"Understood, Commander. Now understand me! I will decline both those requests, as well as any subsequent requests. Your presence is needed here and you will remain here until such time as I decide to let you go. So, get over your little tantrum, Commander, and grow up. Coates will tell you where your new office is. You are dismissed!"

Harm quickly spun on his head and marched to the door. Pausing only long enough to rip the door open, then slam it closed behind him as he exited the office. Stopping at Coates' desk, he was surprised to see how pale her face was as she wordlessly stood and gave him a slip of paper with an office number on it. Harm almost smiled at the humor of it, as he realized that his new office was the old storage room. With a nod to Coates, Harm marched through the bullpen in route to his office.

It was only when he entered the room that Harm realized the Admiral was up to something. Almost a dozen filing boxes were stacked in the corner, making the already small room even smaller. Added to those boxes were the two high stacks of folders that were perched on the desk itself, almost making Harm believe that he was in Mac's office. Closing the door behind him, Harm worked his way behind the desk and settled in.

Taking the first folder in the stack, Harm opened it to find a recent case that Commander Imes had prosecuted. Reaching for a notepad, Harm began going over the file. It was only when a knock came at the door that Harm realized what time it was. Looking up, he saw Mac sticking her head in the door.

"I heard you were back, Harm."

"That I am, Colonel," was Harm's reply, drawing a long look from Mac. She was certain she heard a hard edge to his voice, but didn't know the reason behind it. She had assumed that Harm would be happy that he was back in the Navy and at JAG. Something wasn't right here, but there wasn't enough time for her to get to the bottom of the matter. Staff call was due to begin in a few minutes and she most definitely didn't wish to be late.

"Well, Harm, get your six in gear. Staff call is in five minutes," Mac said with a teasing tone and smile.

"Yes, Ma'am," was all Harm said as he stood and made for the doorway, leaving a stunned Sarah MacKenzie behind him.

Walking into the conference room, Harm saw that he and Mac were the only two besides the Admiral not to have arrived. Fortunately, the seat at the opposite end from the Admiral's was still free, so Harm hurriedly took it. This left Mac stuck next to the Admiral and farthest from Harm.

Barely had Harm settled in when the door opened and the Admiral entered with Mac right behind him. Harm was the last to move to his feet when the customary "Attention on Deck" was called, something that didn't escape the notice of the rest to the room. AJ decided to let it slide, preferring to attribute it to Harm's six months out of uniform rather than another, more serious reason.

"As you were, people," AJ said once he was seated. "Today will be rather brief, since I will be at the Pentagon most of the day and no new cases have been forwarded to our office since yesterday. Priority number one remains the Imes situation. You may have noticed Commander Rabb is back with us. He has been involuntarily recalled to active duty to assist us in this matter, by handling the review of those cases. He will also be handling some of the backlog cases for us as well. That will, in turn, free the remainder of you for investigations and new cases."

"Sir," Mac said, startled by the revelation, "Lieutenant Roberts and I have already reviewed fifty of those cases."

"Be that as it may, Colonel, I need written reports on every one of those cases, so that Admiral Morris and I can sign off on the results and forward those findings to both the Inspector General's office as well as the SECNAV. Somehow, neither of them can understand how this went on for as long as it did before someone noticed that former Commander Imes was not a member of the bar."

"Understood, Sir. I was merely suggesting that it might benefit Commander Rabb if I gave him our notes."

"Actually, I want the Commander to start fresh with this, so that the results are not in any way tainted by the fact that you were Imes' defense attorney," AJ said. "It wouldn't do for anyone to claim some form of bias in these results, would it?"

Harm couldn't believe his ears. The old bastard was going to force him to be here even longer simply by forcing him to redo the work other competent attorneys had already done, while also requiring him to pick up the slack and handle the backlog of others cases. The current cases were time sensitive due to the defendant's right to a speedy trial. So, what was already a difficult task had just been made that much harder by the Admiral's statement.

Judging from the looks directed at him from around the table, the others had also come to the same conclusion. Harm could read varying degrees of sympathy in the expressions, except for one pair of eyes at the far end of the table. The look on the Admiral's face was singularly cold and seemed to promise future misery for Harm.

"I'm quite certain that you all make Commander Rabb feel welcome back here at JAG," AJ said with a tight smirk on his face as he stood and the other officers jumped to their feet.

Harm ignored the rest of the staff as he quickly followed the Admiral out of the conference room and made a dash for his new office. If he was going to be forced to start all over on the case reviews, he knew that there was a mountain of work waiting for him. So, he fully intended to spend every possible minute doing it. The sooner he got it done, the sooner he could be free to get on with his life.

The knock at the door wasn't a surprise, nor was the head that stuck around the door even before Harm could say to enter.

"Wow, Harm," Mac said as she entered. "That was…wow!"

"It seems that the Admiral has decided to reintroduce indentured servitude," Harm said in an ominously flat tone.

"Why the involuntary recall?"

"The Admiral came to see me a week ago and said that he would be willing to have me back at JAG under the right conditions. He told me to think about it, so I did and decided I wasn't interested. I sent him my response turning down the offer and the next thing I know, a Marine is camped out on my doorstep with orders recalling me to active duty."

The shocked look on Mac's face was almost too much for Harm. He so wanted to laugh, even though there was absolutely nothing humorous about the situation.

"Do you know how long you'll be here for?" Mac asked, trying to get into the concept that Harmon Rabb would NOT have wanted to return to JAG. She knew that he had been bitter, starting from when he'd been on trial for Singer's murder, but she had never once suspected that he would reach the point of being done with the Navy, with JAG, with her.

"None," Harm replied with a grimace. "As I understand 10 United States Code Section 688, there is no limitation as to how long I can be involuntarily recalled because the President issued a Declaration of National Emergency following 9/11. So, I am stuck here until…."

"Why not just make the best of it, Harm? You're back here now and that, really, can't be all bad, can it?"

"Mac, I will make the best of it, because I have to. But I have absolutely no intention of remaining here a single hour more than I have to. Maybe if the Admiral had accepted me back six months ago, things could have been different. Now, too much has happened. Like I told you a couple of weeks ago, I've moved on with my life. I'd found a job I liked, a great boss and as much flying as I could stand. I was happy for the first time in a long while and then Admiral Chegwidden had to come and destroy that happiness," Harm said, unable to stop the words once they'd begun flowing from him, bitterness and anger evident in the changed tone of his voice and hard set of his face when he finished.

"Easy, Flyboy. Don't say anything you might regret later," Mac told him.

"Of course, Colonel. If you'll excuse me, I do need to get to work on these reviews."

Mac flushed at that change in the tone of Harm's voice. The anger and bitterness had vanished, leaving absolutely nothing behind. No joy, no happiness, nothing. It was as if there as a giant bottle within Harmon Rabb, where he stuffed his emotions, and now that bottle had been sealed with every possible emotion contained inside it. Fighting back her own emotions at being so summarily dismissed, Mac left the office and closed the door.

Unfortunately for Harm, no sooner had Mac left than first Bud and Harriet followed by Sturgis came looking for answers to similar questions. By the time he had finished with all of them, it was drifting close to lunch time. Harm debated visiting the cafeteria for something to eat, but almost instantly rejected the idea. There would undoubtedly be others there, all looking for answers to the reasons behind his return and Harm was simply finished with the topic.

Instead, Harm just opened another file and kept on working. Several more times during the day, people came knocking at his office door. However, Harm simply ignored the knocks and eventually the message got out that Harm was hiding in his office. The phone also rang several times, but Harm also elected to ignore it as well. If it was urgent, like the Admiral looking for him, Coates would come and get him.

By the time he was ready to leave for the day, several cases had been finished and their reviews were clipped to the covers of the folders. If Harm could keep up this level of productivity, he was confident that he'd be finished inside a month, especially if he also took some home with him. With any luck, he could also reduce the backlog within an additional month. So, Harm pushed himself out of his chair, picked up his rather full briefcase and walked out of his office. Moving quickly, he went down the back stairs to avoided venturing anywhere near the bullpen.

With a quick stop at the security desk, he signed out for the day and walked briskly towards his Lexus. Getting behind the wheel, he smoothly backed out of his parking space and proceeded out of the lot. A quick glance at the dashboard clock told him that he would need to hustle in order to get home before Mattie was due to call. Harm knew that he was going to eventually have to do something about Mattie's situation. A fourteen year old girl simply could not live on her own, not to mention the fact that she needed to be in school rather than running the business. It was just another damned thing to curse the Admiral about. If Harm hadn't been dragged back into the Navy, he could have offered to help her in addition to flying for the company.

Harm was brought out of his musings when he realized with a start that he was home. Getting out of the car, he walked briskly toward the entryway and proceeded up to his apartment. Once inside, he quickly shed his uniform and exchanged it for a pair of blue jeans and t-shirt, before heading for the kitchen. Having skipped lunch, Harm was truly famished and decided to make a large pot of spaghetti and some garlic bread to go with it.

While he waited for the water to boil, Harm decided to call Mattie. He knew he would be a few minutes early, but he decided that he didn't want to wait before giving her the bad news. Picking up the cordless phone, he walked back over to the kitchen island and sat down on one of the stools. This way, he could keep working on getting dinner ready while he and Mattie talked.

"Hey, Harm," Mattie said when she answered. "I thought I was supposed to call you?"

"You were, Mattie. I just got home and figured I would call you first."

"So, when are you going to be back to work?"

"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will be any time soon. You remember that visit I got from the Admiral?" Harm asked.

"You mean the bald guy who fired you?"

"Yeah, that's him. Anyway, he offered to get my commission reinstated and allow me to come back to JAG. After I thought about it, I told him that I wasn't interested. I guess that wasn't what he wanted to hear, so he had me involuntarily recalled to active duty."

"He can do that?" Mattie asked, shocked. "I mean, just ruin your life and make you come back."

"Sadly, he can do just that. It's part of the law," Harm told her.

"Wow, that's sucks, Harm. I really need you here."

Harm caught the edge of something in the young girl's voice.

"What's wrong, Mattie?"

"I'm going to lose the business, Harm."

"What? I mean, how?" Harm was shocked. In the short time he'd been there, he knew that the company had plenty of business and should have been making decent money. Yes, with him not there, they would be back to one pilot short, but something just didn't add up.

"I got a letter from the bank, about a loan that my father took out using the company and the house as collateral. I guess he hasn't been making the payments and since I didn't know about the loan, I wasn't making them either. Now the bank says that they're demanding immediate repayment of the loan or they're foreclosing on both the business and the house," Mattie told him, sounding close to tears by the time she finished.

"Oh, Mattie, I'm so sorry," Harm said gently, while adding another reason to hate Mattie's father to his list. "Does the letter say how much is owed?"

"400,000 dollars, Harm, and I don't have that kind of money. The business is in good shape, but I would have to sell almost all of the planes in order to raise that much. The house is old and needs some work, but there's some land that goes with it. Not enough to really raise any money."

"Alright, Mattie, does the letter give a deadline before they start with the foreclosure?"

"November 28, 2003. So, I've got two more weeks before I lose everything," Mattie replied, sounding as if she was already defeated.

"Tell you what, Mattie, I'll come out this weekend and look over everything. Between us, we'll see if there isn't some way out of this mess. Now, I'm not making any promises, but I will do everything that I can to help you. That sound like a plan?"

"Thank you, Harm, thank you so much."

Harm was simply happy to hear some happiness back in the young woman's voice, while his mind raced to figure out what he could possibly do to help her. By the time Harm had finished talking to Mattie, the water for the pasta was well and truly boiling, so he just dumped the entire box into the water and started the sauce. The garlic bread was simply a matter of putting the few slices he cut off into the toaster oven and waiting for them to get toasted.

Dinner passed quickly, with Harm's mind well occupied trying to think through Mattie's problems as well as all the work he had in front of him. When he was finally too full to eat another bite, Harm pushed the plate away from him and looked at what was left, smiling. There was just enough left for a lunch, until he realized that tomorrow was Saturday and he had promised Mattie that he'd be down to see her.

Deciding that he would be much better off working on the case reviews than thinking about Mattie's situation, Harm grabbed his briefcase and settled down at the desk to start working his way through as many as he could. When he was finally too tired to think straight, he was surprised to find he'd finished the entire contents of the briefcase. A smile crossed Harm's face as he got up and headed for bed.


	3. Chapter 3

November 15, 2003

Blacksburg Airport – Blacksburg, Virginia

1102 Eastern

Harm smiled as he got off the motorcycle. He had a feeling this would probably be one of the last few days he'd be able to ride the bike before having to put it away for the winter, so he'd decided to take one last long ride. An added benefit was that he'd been able to really relax, simply enjoying the ride and not really having to think about anything else.

Harm's smile got even bigger when he turned from laying his helmet on the seat of the bike to find Mattie racing towards him.

"You're late, Harm," she scolded him.

"Sorry, boss," Harm replied with a grin that seemed to say he wasn't really sorry.

"I've got everything I could find waiting in the office."

Harm nodded, seeing how anxious the teen was to get down to business. He followed her into the office and smiled at the pile of paper sitting there waiting. Pulling over a stool, Harm began going through the pages, just reading for right now. Once he was finished, he had a much deeper appreciation of the giant mess that had just been dumped into his lap by Mattie. Although, to be entirely fair, the true bad guy was Thomas Johnson. Turning, he looked over at Mattie.

"I have a few questions for you, Mattie, and some are likely to be a little hard," Harm said.

"I'll be fine, Harm. If it's what I need to do to save the business, then I'll answer anything."

"Alright. Do you know if your mother left a will, when she died?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now, do you know if there was an attorney involved, someone who handled the estate for you and your father?"

"It was old Mister Peabody. He was a friend of my grandmother and he handled everything."

"Great, now do you know his number, because I'm going to have to talk with him about your mother's will and who owns the business and the house."

"Oh, but if you talk to him and he finds out my dad isn't here, then…."

Harm sighed softly, there was no easy way to get around the five hundred pound gorilla that was in the room. Mattie had been abandoned by her father and with her mother being deceased, the next step was her being made a ward of the state. He could see that she had also realized what that would mean.

"I'm sorry, Mattie. Unfortunately, that's the only way forward that I can see. I need to know if the house and the business were left to you or to your father. If they were meant for you, then I can try and help you. If they're your father's, then there isn't a whole lot I or anyone but your father can do. Do you happen to have a copy of your mother's will?" Harm asked gently.

"No, I don't," was Mattie's dejected response.

"Do you know if Mister Peabody works on Saturday's?"

"No, he's almost 70. He retired a few years ago, but helped my dad out from respect for my mother. He'd be at home, most likely."

"Alright, let's grab this stuff and head over to his house," Harm said before remembering that he had brought the motorcycle today. Mattie grinned as she realized the problem and then laughed.

"Well, I guess I can be a biker girl," she said and watched the horror that crossed Harm's face at that image. "Actually, we can just take the truck."

Harm shook his head as he followed Mattie from the office and out to the truck. Harm did, however, stop her before she could get behind the wheel. There was no way he was letting her drive.

Mister Peabody's house – Blacksburg, Virginia

1257 Eastern

Harm and Mattie had gotten lucky, as Mister Peabody had been home. When they had pulled up, they were greeted by the old man sitting on the front porch beside an old black and white coated beagle. When Mattie got out of the truck, the old man stood and walked down the steps to envelope her into a broad hug. Turning to Harm, she made introductions and could see Mister Peabody cautiously looking at Harm.

However, once Harm explained the reason for their visit, the atmosphere became much friendlier. Motioning for the pair to follow him, Mister Peabody led the way into the house and through to a small office located off the living room. With everyone settled, the old man began the conversation.

"How can I help you, Mattie dear?"

"Harm is helping with some problems with the business and we need to see a copy of my mother's will to answer some questions."

The old man simply raised an eyebrow, before turning and going to the file cabinet behind his desk. There were no wasted movements, no searching for the right drawer or file. The man obviously knew exactly where the documents he wanted were.

"What questions do you have?" Mister Peabody asked in a tone that didn't exactly promise answers to those questions.

"Who is the owner of both the family home and the business known as Grace Aviation?" Harm asked, watching the other man.

"Well, let me answer with a question or two of my own. Why exactly do you want to know and why are you asking me the questions rather than speaking with Mattie's father?"

"Mister Peabody, I will be frank with you. I cannot ask Mattie's father, because we don't know where he is. I need the answers because of a letter Mattie got, with regards to a loan of four hundred thousand dollars against the home and the assets of Grace Aviation. In order for me to help her, I need to first know if she will be the one to benefit from that help."

Mister Peabody leaned back in his chair, viably appalled at what he had just been told. It was little secret in town that Thomas Johnson was a drunk, there were even those who believe that his drinking had caused his wife's death, but to hear that he had abandoned his daughter and also effectively stolen her inheritance was simply too much. Taking a deep breath, the old man opened the folder containing Mattie's mother's will.

"The terms of the will were very simply. The house and the business were both placed in trust until Matilda Grace Johnson was to reach the age of 21, at which time ownership was to be transferred to her. Thomas Johnson was to run the business until that time. Mattie's mother hoped that she would go to college and get a degree, which is why she had the trust set for 21 rather than 18."

"What I would be very interested in is how Thomas Johnson managed to take out a loan against assets which he did not legally own? Surely the bank would have verified ownership before loaning such a sum of money," Harm said with a frown on his face.

"That would be a reasonable question to direct to the bank. To that end, you and Mattie may have to consider pursuing criminal charges against her father. Also, now that this situation has been made known to me, I will have to notify the proper authorities to Mattie's lack of parental guidance."

"What does that mean, Mister Peabody?" Mattie asked, scared that she already knew the answer.

"I'm afraid it would mean getting social services involved and seeking a foster family or guardian for you, until you reach the age of 18."

"But, I've been taking care of myself ever since my father took off," Mattie argued. "Why can't I just keep doing that?"

"Mattie, you need to be in school, not working. I know that Grace Aviation means a lot to you, but I'm sure your mother would want you to get a proper education," Harm told the teenager.

"Why can't you be my adult supervision, Harm? I don't want to be with just anyone."

Mister Peabody and Harm exchanged a look, not really certain how to respond to the teen's idea. Harm was very doubtful that a family court would grant him, a single man, guardianship of a teenage girl. Mister Peabody, on the other hand, thought that Harm might be the best person to look after Mattie. The girl was very headstrong and would need someone she liked to be her guardian, lest she simply take off and run away. Mattie seemed to trust Harm and so, could reasonably be expected to do what he told her to.

"I could get the paperwork started for a guardianship for you, Harm," Mister Peabody said with a smile.

"Well, what do you think, boss," Harm said to Mattie with a grin, especially after she launched herself out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Harm's neck.

"Excellent. Harm, if you would just write down your personal information, work information and such, I'll take care of everything. If something comes up, I'll give you a call, and hopefully I can get an emergency hearing scheduled in the next few days."

"Thank you so much, Mister Peabody," Mattie exclaimed.

"My dear Matilda, I feel a little guilty, as if I should have taken better care in making sure your mother's wishes had been followed. I just hope this goes some small way to making that mistake in judgment up to you," Mister Peabody said.

"The only person who needs to apologize is my father, Mister Peabody. You were always a good friend to both my grandmother and my mother."

While Mattie and the old man had been talking, Harm had quickly written down all of his information. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a little voice was asking him if he really knew what he was getting into. If this came to fruition, Mattie would be with him for the next four years. However, that was if the family court even agreed to his being her guardian.

Once Harm had finished writing everything down, it was time for him and Mattie to leave. Things definitely looked brighter for Mattie than they had the night before. So, after once again thanking Mister Peabody, the pair left to drive back to the airport. When they got back to the airport, Mattie and Harm would have a full day going over the company's accounts to see how the business was doing financially. Harm needed to know that information so that he could work on getting the financing to save it for Mattie.


	4. Chapter 4

Harmon Rabb's Apartment – North of Union Station

2043 Eastern

Harm sighed as he let himself into the apartment. It had definitely been a long day, but also a very rewarding one. Harm had been incredibly surprised when he looked over the Grace Aviation accounts, not expecting the level of depth and sophistication from a teenager that he saw there. When he had said something to Mattie, she had told him that her mother had taught her how to run the business. The detail and accuracy made it very easy for Harm to see that the business was doing well and, if not for those loans, would have been in good shape.

What Harm now needed to do is figure out where he was going to find the money to help Mattie rescue the business and her home. If the loans weren't already in default, he would have advised Mattie to just make the payments. However, the bank wasn't likely to be receptive to that approach at this stage, not to mention the potential legal issues involved, especially if Mattie ended up suing the bank for giving the loan out in the first place.

It was while Harm was thinking about the situation that something strange started demanding attention from the back of his mind. Yet, for some reason, it wouldn't seem to come completely into focus for him. Giving his head a shake, he walked into the kitchen and started the oven, having decided to go with a vegetarian lasagna for dinner. While the oven heated, Harm went into the bathroom for a quick shower. He had found over the years that when something was bothering him, it helped him focus if he just simply let him mind concentrate on doing other things.

It was while he was showering that it hit him and Harm started to laugh. When his father had died, Harm's mother had taken the government life insurance and put it into a savings account for Harm and his education. Then, after she had remarried, Frank had taken the money and invested it for him. Because he had gone to the Naval Academy, the money had never been touched. Harm wondered if it was still just sitting there or if Frank and his mother had used it for something else, not that either of them needed the money.

Jumping out of the shower, Harm hurriedly toweled himself dry before throwing on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. Making a quick stop in the kitchen to put dinner in the oven, he then crossed over to the desk and picked up the phone. Judging it to be early evening in La Jolla, Harm hoped that his mother would be home.

"Burnett residence," came Frank's voice over the phone.

"Hi, Frank. It's Harm."

"How are you? It's been a while since your mother and I have heard from you."

"I know, Frank. I've been gone for a while and when I got back there was a lot to get caught up on," Harm said.

Frank could tell Harm wasn't telling him everything but he let it go. He and Trish had seen the news footage of Harm landing that C-130 on the carrier and had wondered what the story behind that was.

"Well, it's nice to know you're back home. Your mother and I worry about you, son," Frank said.

"Thanks, Frank. Look, the reason I called is I have a stupid question for you and mom."

"Harm, how many times have I told you, the only stupid question is…?"

"One you don't ask. OK, then my question is, what ever happened to that college fund you and my mother started for me?" Harm asked.

"It's still sitting there, son. I think your mother is hoping it will become her grandchildren's college fund," Frank said with a teasing note to his voice.

"Do you know the balance in the account?"

"Well, I got a statement last week. Hold on while I dig it out and see. Oh, and your mother wants to talk to you."

"Darling, how are you?" Trish asked as she grabbed the phone from her husband.

"I'm fine, Mom," Harm told her. "Busy with work, though."

"Too busy to call your mother every once in a while? I know you're better at keeping in touch with your Grandmother than with me."

"I know, Mom. I just worry more about Grandma Sarah, with her being all alone. You and Frank have each other and I know the gallery keeps you busy," Harm said, trying to explain the unexplainable.

Trish, for her part, just smiled as her son started to become tongue-tied.

"How's Mac?" she asked once Harm had stopped talking.

"We're not really talking much, right now."

"Why ever not, Harm?"

"Well, she told me there would never be an 'us' and she's seeing someone now and I've been gone for a while, ever since I resigned my commission," Harm replied, then sat back for the explosion he was certain was coming.

"When, exactly, did you resign you commission?" Trish asked, a hard edge coming to her voice.

"In May."

"You resigned your commission in May and this is the first I'm hearing about it? Harmon Rabb, why didn't you say something? And why did you resign your commission?" 'As if I don't know,' Trish thought, wondering if her terminally stupid son would admit it.

"Mac was missing down in Paraguay and when I found out, the Admiral refused to let me go after her. So, I resigned my commission to go find her. When I did, all she could do is question why I'd come before telling me there wasn't an 'us'."

"Well, what are you doing now, darling?" Trish asked, hiding her irritation with both her son and with Sarah MacKenzie.

"I've just been involuntarily recalled to active duty, so I'm back at JAG for the time being. And I've been flying, do some crop dusting," Harm told her. "And I've met someone…."

"Oh, you've started dating again?"

Harm couldn't help himself, he had to laugh at the hopeful tone that had taken over his mother's voice. He knew she was hoping for him to settle down, get married and have children.

"What is so funny, Harmon?!" Trish demanded.

"Oh, mom. No, I'm not dating. No, the person I met is Mattie, a 14 year old girl. Her mother owned the hanger where I keep 'Sarah'. After her mother was killed, she took over running the business while her father crawled into a bottle. I'm going to family court to try and get guardianship of her."

"Is that what you need the money for, Harm?" Frank asked, letting Harm know that he'd joined the conversation somewhere along the way.

"In a manner of speaking. You see, Mattie's mother left her the business and the house, but her father has taken out loans against them and isn't paying them. Now, we have until the end of the month to find 400 thousand dollars or she's going to lose both," Harm told them. "While I doubt there'd be enough in the college fund to cover that, I was hoping to use it to lessen the amount I would need to borrow from the bank."

Hearing only dead silence on the other end of the phone, Harm pulled the receiver away from his ear and looked at the display. The call hadn't been dropped, he could see, before putting it back to his ear. He was just in time to hear both his mother and Frank chuckling.

"What did I say that was so amusing, mom?"

"Harm, didn't you ever wonder how your mom was able to afford the gallery and I could retire early? Or even how I could just give you that money when you went to Russia," Frank asked, still laughing.

"I just assumed you'd saved well and I know you made very good money at Chrysler, Frank," Harm replied, feeling slightly defensive.

"Oh, you're right about that, but I was also smart enough to invest well too. I did that with both our retirement money as well as your education funds. Your mother and I have never told you exactly how well we did that."

"Come on, Frank, just tell me, please?"

"Harm, there is over 65 million dollars' worth of stocks in the college fund now," Frank said with a smile, wishing he could be there to see the look on Harm's face. "The trust fund is in your name and the money is available any time you want it."

Now it was Frank and Trish's turn to hear silence from the other end of the line. Harm was simply stunned by the magnitude of this disclosure. Certainly, he had always been aware that his mom and Frank were well-to-do, but nothing could have prepared him for an announcement like this.

"Harm, darling, are you alright?" came Trish's nervous voice over the phone.

"I'm just stunned, Mom. I never expected something like this. I was hoping there would be maybe 100,000 dollars in the fund," Harm replied, choking up a little at the sheer relief he felt. It was as if a huge weight had been taken off his chest. Harm's mind was a complete whirl of thoughts and emotions as he tried to absorb what a life-changing event this conversation was turning out to be.

"I'm sorry we kept this from you, Harm," Frank said. "Your mother and I wanted you to become the person you were meant to be, without this money acting like a drag on you. We've seen so many young people who are lazy and ambitionless because their parents left them large sums of money. We didn't want that future for you. So, we decided not to tell you about it unless or until you needed it. Now that you do, I'll have my financial advisor set up a money market account for you to have access to the funds. He'll send you a checkbook and debit card to use."

"Thank you, Frank," Harm replied. The three of them spent a few more minutes talking about other matters before Harm realized how late it was. While tomorrow was Sunday, he still had a full day ahead of him and with the news that Frank and his mother had given him, there were definitely a lot of things that he would need to talk over with Mattie.


	5. Chapter 5

November 17, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

0657 Eastern

Harm avoided the bullpen and the coffee machine waiting in the gallery. He doubted that very many people would be here this early, but he wasn't interested in seeing anyone who might be. Rather, he headed straight for his office and settled down to work. Yesterday had been spent on the telephone to both Mattie and Mister Peabody, letting them both know that he would be taking care of the outstanding loans on Grace Aviation and the house. Mattie had started to cry on the phone when he'd told her that she wouldn't need to worry about the business and Harm had wished he'd been able to make the trip down to tell her in person.

He hadn't because he had too much work that he needed to do, but he had promised Mattie that he'd call her every night. When she had told him he didn't need to do that, Harm had replied that if he was to be her guardian, then part of the deal was that he would look out for her. Harm had also been happy when he'd talked with Mister Peabody. The old man planned to file the paperwork for the emergency guardianship as soon as the courthouse opened and he would call Harm to let him know as soon as that was done.

Emptying his briefcase, Harm sat the completed files in the file box he'd taken them from on Friday. Then, he picked up a new stack of folders and opened the top one. Surprising himself, he'd managed to get through a half dozen files before it was time for him to head for staff call. Harm slipped into the conference room and once again took the seat furthest from the Admiral's.

Once the Admiral had finished handing out new cases, he turned to Harm and inquired about the Imes files.

"I've finished reviewing about 30 cases so far, Sir," Harm told him, enjoying the shocked look on the Admiral's face.

"I never expected you to get that many done so quickly, Commander. You've always had an aversion to paperwork," AJ said with a grin.

"Well, it does help to have a goal, Sir."

"Oh, and what would that be, exactly?"

"I'm hoping that the sooner I complete the assignment, the sooner I'll be permitted to return to civilian life, Sir," Harm said, wondering what the others would make of that. He didn't have long to wait, as he saw Admiral Chegwidden's face turn from white to red.

"Commander, the review of those files was not the only reason I had you recalled to active duty. We are still one senior litigator short and have a lengthy backlog of cases. Until both of those situations are addressed, there is simply no way that I can let you go," AJ replied in scarcely concealed anger, enraged that the man would have the gall to challenge him here, in front of the rest of the staff.

"Understood, Sir. May I ask if you have an idea of how long those situations will likely last, Sir?"

That was enough for the Admiral. Jumping to his feet, he headed straight for the conference room door, "My office, NOW!"

Harm could feel the gazes of the others as he got to his feet and followed the Admiral. Walking through the bullpen, he could tell that the rest of the staff knew something was going on. Petty Officer Coates was practically shaking as she stood braced at attention while Harm walked through her office and into the Admiral's, closing the door behind him.

"Mister, you have a lot of nerve questioning me like that," AJ said, as he got into Harm's face.

"Sir, in the time since I resigned my commission, I created a life outside of the Navy. As a simple courtesy, I would like to know how long I am going to be expected to put that life on hold."

"Commander, I can't give you a time frame because I simply don't have one. I need a senior litigator to replace Commander Imes, as I have said before. Until I can find someone with the experience necessary, I simply cannot let you go. You will be released from active duty as soon as I can arrange that and not before."

"Understood, Sir. Permission to be dismissed, Sir?"

"You are dismissed. And this had better be the last time this question is brought up," AJ snarled.

"Aye, aye, Sir."

AJ could only stare at Harm's back, wondering why the man didn't understand that this was the best thing for him. Six months away couldn't have changed Harmon Rabb that much. Or could it have? AJ wondered about that as he went to the desk and settled down to go through the large pile of new paperwork that was waiting.

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

1537 Eastern

By only stopping long enough to eat a bowl of tomato soup and a side salad, Harm was cruising through the file reviews. Another dozen were sitting in the file box, meaning that almost a fourth of the cases were done. With this rate of progress, Harm fully expected to be finished with Imes' files sometime next week, if not before. Then it would be up to the Admiral to review his recommendations and then forward them on. While that was going on, Harm would start clearing up the backlogged cases.

Harm was highly hopeful that he would be released in time for Christmas. After this morning, though, he knew that he couldn't bring the subject up with the Admiral again. While he was certainly justified in wanting some sort of time frame for his stay, Harm knew he'd been very close to insubordination in the Admiral's eyes. The ringing of the telephone brought Harm from his thoughts.

"Commander Rabb, Sir."

"Hello, Harm," came Mister Peabody's voice, followed by Mattie's. "Hi, Harm."

"Hello, Mister Peabody. How are you, boss?" Harm threw in for Mattie.

"Harm, we're here with Judge Morten. She'll be handling the emergency guardianship hearing."

"Hello, your Honor," Harm said. "When will the hearing be, so I can arrange my schedule?"

"Right now, Commander," came the laughing response from Judge Morten. "I know it is typical for this sort of hearing to be face to face, but Mister Peabody has explained the situation to me. So, if it is alright with you, we'll do this over the phone. Then, the hearing for permanent guardianship can be set. That hearing will have to be in my courtroom."

"I understand, your Honor," Harm replied.

"Reading through the information provided by Mister Peabody, I have some concerns regarding awarding you guardianship. So, I will ask you some questions and see if your answers satisfy those concerns. Firstly, I see you are a single male?" Judge Morten asked.

"That is correct, Your Honor. I fully realize the concerns that raises, with placing a young female into that type of situation. Unfortunately, I don't know an answer that could ever satisfy those concerns."

"Could you describe your current living situation?"

"I live in a renovated loft apartment. There is no separate bed room and the only bathroom is immediately off the bedroom and does not have a door. I have already started looking for alternate living arraignments, something more suitable for if I was awarded guardianship of Mattie," Harm answered.

"And your job? What is it exactly?"

"Currently, I'm a Commander in the Navy, assigned to the Judge Advocate General Corps in Falls Church, Virginia. I was recalled to active duty last week, due to a critical shortage of trial attorneys in my pay grade. When I am released from active duty, I intend to return to work at Grace Aviation as a pilot."

"I take it that is where you met Mattie," Judge Morten said. "Will the income you receive there be sufficient to insure Mattie's welfare?"

"I believe that it will be. However, I have recently discovered that finances won't be an immediate concern for me. My mother and step-father had set up a college fund for me years ago and through good investing, that fund now contains over 60 million dollars," Harm replied.

"Alright, Commander Rabb. Now comes the big question. Why do you want guardianship of Mattie?"

"Because I care about her, Your Honor. I see so much potential within Mattie, potential for great things. What she needs right now is someone to support her, celebrating her successes and comforting her in her failures. All while always providing guidance, encouragement and love. Even if you were to deny my application for guardianship, I would still want to do all those things for her," Harm said, a little surprised at the emotion that had crept into his voice. Not being able to see the others on the other end of the telephone line, he wasn't aware that Mattie was crying and both Judge Morten and Mister Peabody were smiling broadly.

"Mattie, can you tell me why you want Commander Rabb to be your guardian?" Judge Morten asked once she saw that the young girl had her tears under control.

"Because I trust him, Your Honor," Mattie replied, having picked up on Harm's use of the term and deciding to use it as well. "I know I'll make mistakes and do things I shouldn't. I trust Harm to correct me and teach me, while still letting me be a teenager."

"Mattie, you do understand that no matter what my decision is today, it is not final. This is to handle the immediate issue of supervision for you. There will be another hearing to decide again on this. Also, that will give us time to find your father and allow him a chance to petition of custody."

"I know, your Honor."

"Very well. On the issue of emergency guardianship of Matilda Grace Johnson, I am awarding said guardianship to Commander Harmon Rabb. This is pending a further hearing, as well as visits by both child protective services and a guardian ad litem to determine the suitability of Commander Rabb and the living conditions provided for Ms. Johnson. Commander, would January 12 be acceptable for the hearing?"

"Yes, your Honor," Harm said. "And thank you."

"You can thank me by loving this young lady, Commander."

"That's the easiest thing I could ever possibly do."

"I hope you know the feeling is mutual, Harm," Mattie shot in, tears streaming down her face.

A knock at the door interrupted Harm's planned response. Looking up, he saw Mac standing there. Motioning her to come in, he turned his attention back to the phone.

"I'm sorry, Mattie. I've got to get back to work, but I'll call you tonight. Think about what you want to do to celebrate and we'll do that over the weekend, after we look at some places to live. Love you too, Boss."

Mac couldn't help the quizzical look that crossed her face. 'Who is Mattie?' she wondered.

"Did you need something, Colonel?" Harm asked, enjoying the play of emotions that were crossing Mac's face.

"Just thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing, Harm. I didn't see you in the cafeteria for lunch today. And I know you left after I did on Friday."

"Well, I do have a lot of work to do and I want to complete it all as soon as possible."

"Don't push yourself too hard," Mac cautioned him.

"I appreciate your concern, Colonel, but I'm doing alright," Harm replied.

"Harm, please, don't shut me you. I'm still your friend."

"Mac, I know you're my friend, but you're involved with Webb now. I just think that maybe, right now, we should give each other some space."

"Alright, Harm, if that's what you want," Mac said, before turning to leave.

Harm settled back into his chair with a sigh. While he certainly didn't want to not be friends with Mac, he also didn't want to get drawn back into that emotional quagmire. Experience had taught him that was a sure way to personal misery. Mac engagement to Brumby was exhibit A in Harm's list of reasons for maintaining some distance right now.

Shaking his head, Harm turned to the next case in the pile and began to review it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**: My thanks for all the wonderful feedback. It give me the motivation to get new chapters out as quickly as I can, knowing there are people enjoying my work and waiting on the next part.

November 21, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

1758 Eastern

Harm got up from behind his desk and picked up the two full file boxes, containing all of the reviews for the cases that Commander Imes had been responsible for. He had finished the last review only minutes before and was now prepared to hand them back to the Admiral. Having a goal had definitely helped and while he was extremely tired, he was also ecstatic. Harm planned to spend the weekend with Mattie and was planning to drive down to Blacksburg as soon as he was finished here.

Walking through the bullpen, Harm entered the Admiral's antechamber. Coates had obviously secured for the day, so Harm knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Enter!"

Harm carefully opened the door and walked into the room. Approaching the Admiral's desk, he placed the boxes on one of the chairs, then came to attention.

"I've completed all the case reviews concerning Commander Imes, Sir," Harm reported.

AJ just raised a silent eyebrow as he looked from Harm to the boxes, then back.

"I'm certainly impressed, Commander. I fully expected that to take at least another week."

"Thank you, Sir."

AJ chose to remain silent, wondering if Harm would turn matters to his release. Unfortunately for the Admiral, Harm had already elected to say nothing in the direction. So it was that the two men just silently looked at each other, both waiting for the other to begin. Only when the silence became uncomfortable did the Admiral speak.

"I'll forward your recommendations to both the CNO and the IG for their review and consideration, Commander. Dismissed."

"Aye, aye, Sir," Harm said, snapping back to attention before executing an about-face and leaving the office.

AJ was left to wonder if perhaps Harm was beginning to accept being back at JAG. He certainly hoped that that was the case. While the man was certainly not a team player and definitely controlled by his emotions, AJ also grudgingly realized that it was those very qualities that had made Harm the lawyer he was. He went out of his way to protect the innocent and find the guilty, often at great risk to his life and career. Truthfully, it just wasn't the same without Harm here.

Harm, on the other hand, wasn't giving JAG or Admiral Chegwidden a second thought right now. As soon as he'd left the Admiral's office, he'd headed directly for his office. Grabbing his cover and briefcase, he then went straight past the elevators and took the stairs down. Putting his cover on as he exited the building, Harm made right for the Corvette and practically peeled rubber racing out of the parking lot. An overnight bag was already in the small trunk of the car, so he headed straight for Interstate 66 and the long drive to Blacksburg.

November 22, 2003

Blacksburg Airport – Blacksburg, Virginia

0858 Eastern

Harm smiled as he got out of the Corvette and saw Mattie sitting on the bed of the old pickup. Mattie just waited until he got close, then launched herself into his arms. The pair of them spent the next several minutes just hugging each other, not caring at the sight they must have presented to anyone passing by. Finally, Harm unwrapped his arms from around the teen and held her out at arm's length, giving her a careful appraisal.

"How are you, Boss?" Harm asked.

"A thousand percent better now that you're finally back here. What are we going to do today?" Mattie asked.

"Well, we've got a few things to do this weekend. First, we need to look for someplace for us to live. We also need to talk about the business and my being on active duty. And then there's the matter of a celebration I remember promising you."

"What do you mean, talk about the business?"

"Mattie, right now I'm in the Navy. I don't know when I'll be released from active duty and until I am, I'm stationed in Falls Church. The drive from there to here is just too much for a daily commute. So, I think we need to discuss options for the business. Now, I've had an official check sent to the bank holding the loan against the house and business, so the company is totally debt free other than current expenses. As I see it, there are several options available. Firstly, we can close the business but keep the hangers and planes. Basically mothball Grace Aviation until you're 18 and can legally run the company. We'd have to come out and fly the planes, also make sure we keep up on their maintenance so they're in good shape."

"That would cost a lot of money, though," Mattie cut in. "Like I told you, the business is in good shape, but it only stays that way all long as the planes are bringing in money. Planes just sitting on the ground are money losers, Harm."

"Yeah, I know that, Boss," Harm told her with a smile. "It's not an ideal solution, but it does allow you to get back to school and get an education. Option two would be to find someone we can trust to run Grace Aviation for you. My worries with that approach are the distances involved. It would have to be someone we could absolutely trust not to rob you blind or run the company into the ground."

"I don't know anybody I'd be willing to trust like that."

"Well, I may have a few ideas in that regard, some people I could talk to. If you want to do that, I can make some calls. Option three would be to move the business somewhere closer to Washington, where we'll be living for the moment. The problems with that idea are a few, though. If your father comes back and is given custody, you'd have to move all over again. Also, there's no guarantee the customers you currently have would want you if you move too far away and there would be the added time and fuel cost associated with the longer flights to get down here."

"I don't like that idea, Harm. This is where home is, at least for me. My mom's house is here, my friends," Mattie said quietly.

"I know, Mattie. But the deal with the guardianship is that I take care of you and I can't really do that if you're living in Blacksburg and I'm in Washington. Now, if you want to live down here when I get released from the Navy, that's something I would be more than agreeable to. But, I don't know when that will be, so we need to at least be thinking about this. Fortunately, winter's almost here, so we've got some time before we need to actually do anything."

Harm looked over at Mattie, who was trying to cover her dismay at the prospect of leaving everything she knew. So, Harm decided to do the only thing he could think off, wrapping an arm around her and gently pulling her to him. The pair of them sat that way for several minutes, with Harm quietly passing strength and comfort to the teen.

"Mattie, have you thought about what you'd like to do to celebrate?" Harm asked softly.

"Well, you could let me drive that Corvette of yours," Mattie replied with a grin.

"That is definitely not going to happen. Be serious, Mattie."

"Alright, you could take me flying, I suppose. Your Stearman is already out and gassed up, Harm."

Harm just grinned at the teen, before leading her over to the airplane. Mindful of his passenger, he took his time with the preflight checks. Only when he was assured that everything was right did he load Mattie into the front cockpit, before settling into the rear one. Calling the tower, he quickly got permission to taxi to the active runway and then take off.

Once they were safely in the air, Harm headed northwest for a while, just flying away from the airport. Mattie for her part, just relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of the wind in her face. It was only when they were well away from the airport that Harm began to play with the Stearman. He started with a roll to the right, followed quickly by another to the left before pulling up into a steep climb that turned into a stall. Dropping from the sky, he let the speed build back up before recovering and then performing a loop.

Mattie's shrieks of joy could be plainly heard for the intercom and Harm laughed.

"Hey, Boss," Harm called to her. "Have you ever flown before?"

"Sure."

"No, have YOU ever FLOWN?"

Mattie caught the emphasis and realized what Harm was actually asking.

"No, I haven't," Mattie said.

"Do you want to?"

"SURE!"

"Alright, Mattie. Take the stick, it's your airplane," Harm told her.

Mattie grabbed the stick and once he felt her pressure on it, Harm released his hold. The plane wallowed through the sky as Mattie fought to control it. Harm made sure to keep aware of their surroundings and seeing there were no airplanes anywhere near them, he left the teen to figure things out. Eventually the plane seemed to become more stable as Mattie learned to be gentle in her control inputs. It was when Mattie tried a turn that Harm realized she must have been watching the controls while he had been the one flying. While the turn wasn't as smooth as the ones that he had done, it was a turn and it brought a smile to Harm's face.

Finally, it was time to head back to the airport and Harm resumed control of the Stearman. Landing was never an easy task with an old tail-dragger and Harm settled for his usual front two wheels down first, then gently lowered the tail wheel. Taxiing quickly over to the hanger, he shut down the engine and then leaned back into the seat for a moment, feeling the old familiar euphoria that came from flying.

Unstrapping himself, Harm climbed from the rear cockpit and helped Mattie with her seatbelts. Once she was free, he stepped down to the tarmac and waited for her to join him. Seeing the expression on her face, he elected to keep quiet and just enjoy the moment.

"That was so awesome, Harm!" Mattie cried as she launched herself at him.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mattie," was Harm's reply, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"That was miles beyond simple enjoyment. I mean, I've been flying before, but that was just someone flying me. This, this was me flying. When can we do it again? Tomorrow?"

"Well, if you enjoyed it that much, I suppose we could do it again some time."

"Please, Harm?" Mattie begged.

"Oh, God. I think I've created a monster," Harm moaned, while leading Mattie away from the plane towards the Corvette. Harm knew that they still had a lot to do this weekend, starting with looking at some houses that would be suitable for the two of them. Last night, while at the hotel, he had spent a couple of hours thinking about what he wanted and needed from a potential house. Then, he'd considered what Mattie might like. Now, they would go and look at some houses that he felt had potential.

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

1737 Eastern

Harm and Mattie stepped out of the Corvette and looked at the sign in the front yard. This was the third house they had stopped at today and Harm had decided that it would be the last. The previous two, while looking great on paper, had not been what he was looking for in a house. The first house had been huge, far too much for just him and Mattie, even if he had his mom and Frank visit along with his Grandmother. The second house was musty and made him worried about the potential for mold or other issues, so they hadn't stay too long at either.

Fortunately, that meant that there was still time for the open house that was advertised for this property. Harm had actually had it on his list to see tomorrow, but they'd been in the neighborhood and he'd elected to stop today rather than wait. As they walked up to the front door, they were greeted by a smiling young woman who held the door open for them.

"Please, take a look around and let me know if you have any questions," she told them, allowing Harm and Mattie to find their own way.

The pair went upstairs first, with Harm leading the way. Looking out back, he was slightly disappointed in the seeming lack of a backyard. Yet, he could see the beginnings of a smile on Mattie's face. The master bedroom had an attached bath, while a second bath was situated about halfway down the hall for the other three bedrooms. The walls were all freshly painted in neutral colors and the carpeting was also fairly new or newly professionally cleaned.

It was when they were walking through the downstairs that Harm began to be sold on the property. The kitchen was well laid out and the appliances were professional grade, while both the dining room and family room directly connected to it. But it was when he looked out the back door that Harm realized why the backyard was lacking, for there was a four car garage taking up most of the space between the house and the fence line.

Harm was also happy to see that there was a downstairs bedroom as well as both a full bathroom and a half bath. That would certainly be useful as a potential guest room. He turned to look for Mattie, only to see her disappearing into the basement. Following her down, he was happily surprised to find that the basement was fully finished, with a laundry room at one end along with a separate room for the hot water heater and furnace. Going over to take a look at them, he saw that they were both natural gas, which he felt was a plus.

Coming back out into the basement, Harm saw that Mattie was excitedly rocking from foot to foot. Obviously, she had liked the house but he still needed to talk with the realtor about the property before he was willing to make a decision. So, taking a hold of Mattie by the shoulders, he guided her to the stair and also attempted to calm her down.

Once back on the first floor of the house, Harm led the way to the entryway, where the young lady in question was clearly waiting for them. It was only then that Harm remembered when the open house was scheduled to end at. A glance at his watch showed they were almost forty minutes past that time, bringing a guilty look to his face, one the realtor saw and noted.

"It's quite all right, Sir," she said smoothly. "Take all the time you need to look around."

"We're pretty well finished looking, but I was wondering if you happen to have the property tax information for the house. Also, what school district we would be in," Harm replied, looking over at Mattie when he asked about the schools.

"Of course. Let me get you a copy of the prospectus, all the information should be there."

The realtor quickly left them and was back in a moment with several papers stapled together. Handing them to Harm, she waited while he read through the information. For his part, Harm slowly read through the document, which did answer almost every question that he'd had as well as several he hadn't really thought about. Seeing the price, he carefully hid a smile, knowing that the price was slightly at the higher end of the range he'd set for himself. Still, he could definitely afford it and was certain that he wouldn't lose money on the deal.

"What would be the time frame on closing?" Harm asked.

"It would depend on you, Sir. The owner moved out last month, his job transferred him to California. So the house is vacant and ready to move in," was her reply.

"Well, I can have a cashier's check ready by Tuesday, subject to a home inspection."

"The owner has already had two done and I can give you copies of those, if you wish. Both companies are ones that we've used in the past and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau."

Harm frowned slightly at that. He wasn't entirely keen on accepting an inspection done by the home owner, because the companies may have not reported issues that could have hurt the seller's interests. Still, Harm had seen the quality of the home during his walk through.

"Well, Mattie, what do you think?"

"I really like this house, Harm. It reminds me of my mother's house," Mattie told him, a smile reaching from ear to ear.

"Then I guess we'll just have to buy it," Harm said with a grin, before turning to the realtor. "I'll have to work on Tuesday, so would it be all right if we do the closing that evening?"

"Absolutely, Sir. Would here at 6:30 be a good time?" she asked, trying to cover her shock at the swiftness of action. Most buyers wanted to haggle over the price or needed to talk with their spouse or bank. This man had simply seen something he wanted and bought it.

"That should work," Harm replied.

"If that changes for some reason, here's my card. Just call me so we can reschedule."

"Thank you very much. Come on, Mattie. Let's go get some dinner."

"Definitely. Hungry teenager here, Harm," she said with a laugh.


	7. Chapter 7

November 24, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church

1423 Eastern

The day had been almost a repeat of the last week. Harm would come in, work inside his closed office until it was time to head for staff call. Once staff call was concluded, he would be back at his desk working his way through the piles of paperwork that had been left for him. Now it was the backlogged cases that he was dealing with. What he was finding was that these were actually the more minor cases, ones that had been left to drift when more serious and more urgent cases had been assigned.

That was actually fortunate for Harm, in that many of these were able to be handled with a simple series of telephone interviews. He'd actually finished four of them today and was in the process of grabbing another file when his phone rang. With a sigh, he turned towards the object and grabbed the receiver.

"Commander Rabb, Sir," Harm answered.

"Hey, Hammer, how you doing, Sir," came a decidedly feminine voice.

"Skates, is that you? How in the heck are you?"

"I'm doing great. Just got my promotion to Lieutenant Commander and I've been stationed at Annapolis as an instructor in Aerospace Engineering since August."

"Congratulations, Skates. That's excellent news. What does your fiancé think about the new billet?"

"Um, well. We're not together anymore, Harm," Skates told him.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Harm replied, not that he was entirely surprised. The separations that came with six month deployments were often relationship killers and he had a number of friends who'd been through breakups and divorces.

"What's been going on with you, Harm?" Skates asked, desperate to get off the subject. "I tried to contact you last month, only to be told that you were no longer with JAG. Then, when I happened to be over at the Pentagon this morning, I heard that you were."

"That's a very long and complicated story, one that would take too long to tell right now."

"Well, then what are you doing for dinner, Harm?"

"Is that you way of inviting yourself over, Skates?" Harm asked, a teasing note to his voice.

"Absolutely, Sir," she came back with a full blown laugh, one that sounded wonderful to Harm.

"Alright. How about 1830 at my apartment?"

"Sounds like a date, Hammer," Skate came back, the laughter evident in her voice. "Bye."

Harm started to say his farewell, only to realize that she had already hung up on him. Unable to help himself, he started laughing. It felt good to be able to laugh, especially as he realized how Skates had just handled him. It was only a cough at the doorway that made him realize that he was no longer alone in the office.

"Something funny, flyboy?" Mac asked, wondering what was up with Harm. She'd knocked twice before opening the door. When she'd stepped in, it was to find him laughing for no particular reason that she could see.

"Oh, just a stray thought," was Harm's cryptic answer, the smile never leaving his lips, but somewhat dimming in the eyes. "Was there something that you needed?"

"Just came by to see if you were busy this evening?"

"I've actually got plans already."

"New girlfriend?"

"That's need to know and …."

"I don't have one," Mac said, rather than asked.

"No, ma'am, you don't. I've decided to keep my personal life out of the office from now on," Harm told her, trying to keep a level tone to his voice. Still, he could see Mac arching an eyebrow at him.

To say that Mac was surprised by Harm's response was an understatement. Yes, she knew that he'd said before that he wanted some space and she knew that her being involved with Webb was an issue between them. Still, she had rarely had him say that he didn't want to get together with her and never in a tone quite that cool. However, being a Marine, she did know what battles to fight and this wasn't one.

"Well, I'll see you later, Harm," Mac said as she turned and walked out the door.

Harm was silent for a long moment, before slowly exhaling. The whole merry-go-round that was his relationship with Mac was something he was beginning to become annoyed with. She was involved with Webb, yet here she was wanting to have dinner with him. Then when he'd told her he had plans, she instantly assumed that it was a girlfriend and he could have sworn he'd heard jealousy in her voice. This was just another part of the reason he hadn't wanted to come back to JAG. He needed distance from her, space to heal his heart after their words in Paraguay.

Harmon Rabb's Apartment – North of Union Station

1823 Eastern

As soon as he'd gotten home, Harm had raced into the bedroom and stripped. He had been running late leaving the office and knew that Skates would be punctual. Therefore, he had precious little time to get ready before she arrived. Still, he wanted to at least freshen up and change before he started dinner for them.

A brisk shower was followed by quickly dressing in slacks and a pullover, along with deck shoes. Harm then made his way to the kitchen, when he set a large pot of water to boil on the stove top. He planned on pasta with clam sauce, along with a salad and butter pecan ice cream for dessert if either of them were so inclined. A bottle of dry white wine was in the refrigerator, along with an assortment of juices and sodas. He would leave it up to Skates as to which she would prefer.

Putting another pan on the stove top, he opened a jar of sauce and set that to heating. Then it was time to shred some lettuce for the salads, along with grating some cheese to go with it. A knock at the door caught him just as he was reaching for the refrigerator door's handle, planning on getting out some Italian dressing for the salad. A smile came to his face as he crossed to the door, quickly checking to see who was there before opening it.

Looking at Skates, Harm's jaw nearly hit the floor. While he'd seen her in civilian clothing before, nothing could have prepared him for the vision that was before him. Rather than being done up in its usual fashion, her long hair was loose and flowed over her shoulders in silky brown waves. The teal silk blouse and black slacks looked amazing on her, emphasizing her trim figure.

"Harm?" Skates asked in a laughing tone, her eyes dancing with merriment.

Harm blinked his eyes several times, as his brain worked to comprehend what he was seeing. Fortunately, there was enough space between him and the doorframe that Skates could step into the apartment. From there, she walked over to the kitchen area and surveyed the work that Harm had been doing. This gave him time to recover from the shock and fully come to the realization that this was a date. With that realization came another, that he wouldn't call her Skates.

This, rather, was Beth Hawkes and Beth was a beautiful woman. When Harm had been flying with her on the Patrick Henry, he had been attracted to her and that was the main reason he'd always thought of her as Skates. Skates was his RIO, his shipmate and his friend. Beth was the woman, denied to him through a combination of regulations, distances and circumstances. Now, here she was and she was smiling mischievously.

What Harm didn't know, indeed couldn't know, was that Skates had planned this. She had been interested in him for years now, but had been stopped by the same things he had been. So, she had tried a relationship with someone else. Unfortunately, that had ended badly when she'd managed to surprise her fiancé by coming back from deployment a couple of days early. Instead of surprising him, it was she who had been surprised when she'd entered their apartment and found him in bed with another woman.

"Wow, Beth," Harm said, "you look amazing."

"Why, thank you, kind Sir."

Stepping around her, Harm checked the sauce and gave it a quick stir, before adding the pasta to the boiling water. Skates elected to sit at one of the kitchen stools watching him as he finished cooking. She took some delight in just watching the way he worked. There was no unnecessary items just laying around, everything was neat and organized.

"So, when do you want to tell me that story, Harm?" she asked softly.

For a moment, it looked as if he wasn't going to answer her. In reality, it was simply that he was trying to decide where to begin. Even now, he wasn't really sure where the actual beginning was. In all honesty, it may very well have dated back to his trial for Lieutenant Singer's murder. That was probably when the wheels on the bus stopped going round and began instead to come off, when he stopped trusting and respecting the people he'd worked with.

So, that was where Harm began the story. He talked all through dinner and dessert and then as the pair settled onto the couch. As he talked, Skates watched his face and the play of emotions that moved over it. She also felt a certain bitterness at the actions of many of the players, the way they had treated him. It was little wonder, she felt, that he hadn't wanted to return to JAG now.

"That is some story," Beth said when he had finally finished.

"That is an understatement," Harm replied with a light laugh.

"So, where's Mattie?"

"She's still down in Blacksburg until I complete the purchase of the house, then she'll move up here and stay with me. The judge was very understanding about Mr. Peabody keeping an eye on her I could arrange better living conditions for us."

"I'd love to meet her," Beth said, wondering if he realized what she was really saying.

"I'm sure that can be arranged at some point," Harm replied, turning so that he could look her in the eyes. "Things are a little complicated right now, though."

Beth lifted her left hand from her lap and reached for his face, gently stroking along his jawline. She could quite easily read the fear and uncertainty that shone in his eyes, so she decided to proceed very carefully. Leaning into him, she softly kissed his cheek, not pulling back as she finished.

"Harm, I'm willing to take as long as you need to. You're so worth waiting for."

"Thank you, Beth. You have no idea what that means to me," he say, wrapping an arm around her and gently pulling her to him.

They sat like that for a while, before a soft yawn from Beth brought with it the shocking realization that it was past midnight. Beth stood to leave, saying that she had to teach in the morning. When Harm offered the couch, she politely refused. She doubted her willpower would be strong enough to resist the thought of the two of them in bed. She did promise to call later in the week so they could get together again. It was only when she left that he realized he didn't have her phone number.


	8. Chapter 8

November 25, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

0953 Eastern

Harm had come into work with a noticeable spring to his step and smile on his face. Both Mac and AJ had their own private thoughts about the matter. AJ's were focused on the hope that Harm had finally come to terms with his recall and that the new attitude was reflective of that. Things would be much better if that was the case. Mac, on the other hand, suspected that it had to do with a new girlfriend in Harm's life.

Admitting things to herself was not one of Sarah MacKenzie's stronger suits, so realizing that she was jealous of the possible relationship took some effort. Still, she did realize it. Her own relationship with Clay wasn't everything she'd hoped it would be. But, she was also the one that had told Harm there could be no 'us', so if he had decided to move on was she really in any position to blame him.

Harm, for his part, had quickly adjourned to his office following staff call. With the events of last night, he hadn't been able to get any more cases done, not that he had minded at all. Still, he was determined to work his way through these cases as quickly as he could.

"Hi, Commander, do you have a minute?" came Harriet's soft voice from the doorway.

"Sure, Harriet, come on in and take a seat," Harm replied.

"Well, I won't be but a moment. I just stopped by to say that Bud and I are doing Thanksgiving dinner and wanted to know if you'd like to stop by."

Harriet almost laughed at the blank look on Harm's face. The times she wished she had a camera, knowing good blackmail material when she saw it.

"You did remember that it's this Thursday, right?" Harriet asked with an amused smile.

"Actually, no. It completely slipped my mind. So, is this a family thing or were you having a little party?" Harm asked, wondering at the answer.

"A party, of course. Everyone else has already said they'll be there, you were the only holdout. Bud put an invitation up in the break room last week, Commander."

"I'll try to come. If I do, though, I may have a couple of guests with me. Will that be all right?"

"Certainly, Sir. Dress code is civilian wear and the party will start around 1. We'll eat around 3 to 3:30, to give you guys a little time watching football," Harriet told him, curiosity practically eating her alive as she wondered who the guests would be. 'Maybe his mother and step-father,' she thought.

Harm carefully hid his smile. He could practically see the wheels turning as Harriet thought about his answer. He thought Thanksgiving would be a great time to introduce Mattie to the others and he also found himself hoping that Beth would be able to attend as well. The smile did almost break through when he thought about the reactions he felt would be certain to come if he walked in with Beth and Mattie on his arms.

Harriet could see that she no longer had Harm's attention, so she quietly slipped out of his office. Going into the bullpen, she settled in at her desk and removed her personal planner from her purse. Making a hasty note of Harm's name, she wrote plus 2 after it followed by a question mark. With that done, she turned her attention to the work before her. She definitely didn't want to upset the Admiral by not having things done.

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

1852 Eastern

The closing on the house had taken a very short amount of time, most of it spent by Harm reading through the title documents before signing them. Once that was done, he'd pulled out the cashier's check that he'd collected at the bank during his lunch break. It had made him slightly nervous to be carrying about almost a million dollars all afternoon, but it was the only way to have handled it. The bank, unfortunately, closed before he secured for the day.

The realtor checked the check and saw that it was for the correct amount and made out to the agency, so she took a set of keys from her pocket and handed them to him.

"Congratulations on your new home," she said with a smile.

"Thank you very much," was Harm's reply.

Collecting their papers, the realtor and the title agent walked outside. Alone, he slowly walked through the house. In his mind, Harm was planning out the furniture that would be needed for the home. A dining room set, probably a new living room set and a couple of bedroom sets. His bedroom would be fine, he'd just move his bed and dresser over from the loft. The table he had there would work for the breakfast nook and he'd turn one of the bedrooms into an office.

The finished basement would be perfect for a recreation area. Maybe a pool table and a bar, a game table off to one side. Just somewhere to hang out as a family or entertain friends. Walking outside, he was surprised to see two visitors walking up to the house.

"Are we too late?" Mr. Peabody asked.

"Not at all, but you did miss the closing," Harm told them.

"Does that mean we own the house now?" Mattie asked excitedly.

"Well, I own the house now."

Mattie gave an excited squeal before launching herself into Harm's arms. Mr. Peabody and Harm exchanged an amused grin, enjoying how excited the teen was. Once she was done hugging Harm, Mattie excitedly lead Mr. Peabody on a quick tour of the vacant house. While she was doing that, Harm sat down on the front porch steps and thought about what kind of furniture he wanted for out there. After about twenty minutes, the pair came out to find Harm.

"That's a big house for just the two of you," Mr. Peabody said cautiously.

"Well, one of my requirements was a big garage, so I can take my Corvette out of storage. There were very few houses that had the garage space I was looking for and this was one of the smaller ones," Harm explained.

"Does that mean I'll get a car when I turn 16?" Mattie asked with a grin.

"I don't know, Mattie. There's a lot of things that need to happen before we get to that point. Let's just say that I'll consider it and leave it at that. Now, why are you two up here?" Harm asked.

"Well, Mattie's off for Thanksgiving break…." Mr. Peabody began.

"And I wanted to spend the holiday with you and since Mr. Peabody is flying to Boston tomorrow, I thought this would kill two birds with one stone," Mattie finished. "Besides, if you're going to pick out furniture for the house, I want to go with you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Mattie," Harm told her with a grin.

"I've got a suitcase in the car for her and I've got two rooms at the local Best Western," Mr. Peabody said. "My flight leaves tomorrow morning at 10:15 from Dulles."

"Actually, Mattie can come home with me tonight," Harm told them. "That is, if she doesn't mind sleeping on the couch for a couple of days until we can move in here. That way we don't have to worry about me picking her up tomorrow before your flight."

Mattie just smiled at that, while Mr. Peabody contented himself with a nod. Harm waited a moment before going up and locking the front door. When he turned around, he could see them down by a four door sedan parked behind his Lexus. Harm walked down to join them, taking the suitcase that was sitting on the pavement behind the trunk. As he made to carry it to the SUV, Mr. Peabody stopped him and handed over a briefcase as well. The two men shared a look, before Mr. Peabody spoke.

"That contains copies of all the paperwork for Mattie's guardianship, so you can start getting her enrolled in a high school up here. Also, I started putting together lawsuits with respect to the loans Mattie's father took out. The only problem is, to make a case would necessitate filing charges against her father. I'm not sure if you want to do that, especially in light of the guardianship issue. It could look like…."

"Yes, I understand," Harm said sadly, not really wanting to say more with Mattie right there. If charges were filed against Mr. Johnson federally and he were to be found guilty, the penalty for loan fraud was up to 30 years in prison. Pressing charges, though, could look like Harm was trying to get Mr. Johnson out of the way, in order to guarantee he would win guardianship of Mattie. Yet, Harm also believe that Mattie's father didn't deserve to simply walk away after what he'd done to his daughter.

"Are you guys about done talking?" Mattie asked from over by Harm's SUV. "Remember, hungry teen, and we also need to go look at some furniture, too."

"I think we're done for now. Right, Mr. Peabody?"

"I quite agree. Also, I know you both have a lot to do, so I'll see you on Sunday when I return from my trip. I'll call when I arrive, so we can arrange for me to pick Mattie up if necessary."

"Thank you, Mr. Peabody," Mattie said as she came over to give him a gentle hug, before returning to the Lexus and climbing into the front seat.

"Have a safe trip, Sir," Harm said as the two men shook hands.

"Thank you, Harm. You both have a good Thanksgiving," the old man said as he got into his car and drove away. Harm couldn't help but smile as he got into the driver's seat of the SUV and pulled away from the curb. Mattie, for her part, caught the smile and readily returned it. This was probably the happiest she'd felt since she lost her mother.

Harmon Rabb's Apartment – North of Union Station

2312 Eastern

An almost asleep on her feet Mattie followed Harm into the loft, tiredly looking around as she surveyed her surroundings. Seeing the couch, she made her way towards it while Harm set her suitcase on the chair next to it. He went up into the bedroom area and returned a couple of moments later with sheets and a blanket for her.

"I'll get this made up while you get into your sleep wear, Mattie," he told her.

Mattie opened her suitcase and removed a couple of items, before Harm pointed her towards the bathroom. Once she was gone, he quickly made up the couch into a bed before stretching. All told, it had been a wonderful evening. After stopping for an early dinner, they had gone to a couple of stores to select furniture for the house. It was only while they were doing that that Harm realized how much other stuff they would need. So towels and linens were also added to their purchases, along with Mattie persuading him that they needed a television and DVD player too.

In all, they had purchased three complete bedroom sets, a new living room set, dining room table and chairs. Fortunately, all the items were in stock and the stores had both promised delivery on Friday. Harm had also arranged for all the other items to be delivered then as well, rather that overloading his SUV with stuff that would either be left there until the more or brought into the apartment only to be taken back out in a couple of days.

A blinking light on his desk caught his attention then, with Harm seeing that he had a message. Going over to the phone, he pressed the play button and smiled once he heard the voice.

"Hey Harm, it's me. I was just calling to let you know I'll be off for the next few days. I'd really like to get together again, if you're not too busy. Give me a call," Skates voice said, followed by a telephone number.

Harm reached for the phone only to stop himself. It's much too late in the evening to be calling, so he quickly wrote the number down and promised himself he'd call her in the morning.

"Who was that?" Mattie asked.

"That was Beth," Harm said.

"Ah, girlfriend."

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Come on, Harm. Either she is or she isn't, which is it?" Mattie asked teasingly.

"Mattie, it's complicated," Harm protested.

"Harm, my uncle flying through a hanger upside down is complicated. This is only complicated if you make it complicated."

"Mattie, when you get older you'll realize that relationships can be complicated too. Especially as you get older, because you're carrying the baggage of the past along with you. So, while I hope for something more with Beth, I also want to take it slowly because I don't want to lose her as a friend if this goes wrong."

Mattie looked at Harm for a moment, again sensing something she'd felt before with him. This was a man who had been badly hurt in the past, on a deeply personal level. While he'd been working for her, they'd often chatted but almost never beyond the surface of things. She recognized the signs because she had seen them in herself, after the death of her mother and her father's abandonment.

A yawn from Mattie quickly ended the conversation and evening, though. While Mattie got comfortable on the couch, Harm went into the bedroom and grabbed a pair of sweat pants. He then went into the bathroom to change, before heading to bed himself. As he tried to go to sleep, Mattie's words kept replaying through his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

November 26, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

0943 Eastern

With the end of staff call, Harm had walked back to his office. His improved mood was still evident to everyone, yet the reasons behind it remained a mystery. Still, no one had elected to comment on the matter for fear of reversing the effects. Harm, for his part, was oblivious to the building speculation that surrounded him. He was simply focused on accomplishing as much as he could before leaving for the day.

Settling behind his computer, he quickly filled out a request to take a personal day for Friday. Between that and tomorrow being Thanksgiving, he wouldn't need to be back in the office until Monday. That would give him plenty of time to spend with Mattie, as well as getting the new house in order over the weekend. Once that was done, he told the document to print and headed out to the bullpen to collect the paper. From there, it was a simple matter to hand it over to Coates for the Admiral's signature.

Going back to his office, his next step was a telephone call.

"Lieutenant Commander Hawkes, Sir," Beth answered on the third ring.

"Good morning, Beth."

"Oh, Harm. I'm so glad you called."

"So, you've got a long weekend?" Harm asked.

"Indeed I do. Nothing planned from now until Monday, when classes start again."

"Well, how would you like to spend that time with me?"

"I'll have to check my calendar and think about it," Beth said with a teasing tone to her voice.

"Beth!"

"I'm thinking, alright. Let's see, spend a lot of time with a tall, dark and handsome man whose smile drives me crazy versus sitting around my apartment seeing what's on television," Beth continued with the teasing, thoroughly enjoying herself.

"Yeah, I can see where that would be a tough choice," Harm replied sarcastically.

"Well, there is a lot of good stuff on the television."

"I wouldn't know. I didn't own a television until Mattie talked me into one for the new house."

"No television?! My God, Harm, this is the 2000s, not the 1900s. Get with the times," Beth said in a shocked tone.

"Can we get back on topic, here?" Harm asked. "Us spending time together, remember."

"Oh, Harm, of course I want to spend time with you. What are your plans?"

"Tomorrow we're invited to a party at a friend of mine's house. It'll be most of the staff here at JAG, but nothing too formal. Civilian dress, so probably a nice dress for you to wear. Friday will just be a lazy day, depending on the weather. On Saturday, I need to be at the new house for when the furniture arrives and get that all situated. Also, I'll need to move some stuff from the loft over to the house then too."

"Ah, I see. You're planning to butter me up on Thursday and Friday so that I'll help you move on Saturday. Is that it, Harm?" Beth asked, that teasing tone back in her voice.

"You know me too well, Beth," was Harm's response, along with a laugh.

"Well, that being the case, how about you start the buttering up with dinner tonight? Say 1830 again?"

"I think that could be worked out."

"Great, I'll see you then, Harm," Beth said before hanging up the phone.

Harm managed to laugh before hanging up his phone, then reaching for the next case file. With Beth coming over for dinner, he wanted to get as much done as he could. That way, he could secure on time, stop to pick up a few things for the meal tonight and still be home before she got there.

Harmon Rabb's Apartment – North of Union Station

1827 Eastern

Mattie was relaxing on the couch, reading a book she'd found on one of the shelves. The absence of a television had been a source of disappointment when she'd finally gotten up that morning. Harm had been long gone by that time, but he had left her a note saying that there was food in the refrigerator for her and she could get on the internet if she wanted to.

That had managed to keep her occupied until just after noon, then boredom had begun to settle in. So, she had gone snooping through the apartment, just to see what Harm might have. She also freely admitted that she was curious about him and hoped to learn more, plus it gave her something to do. Once she'd seen everything that was somewhat accessible, she'd started looking through the books on the shelf before picking the one she was currently reading.

A knock at the door brought her attention from the book. She knew it wasn't Harm, considering he had a key and would just let himself in. Getting up from the couch, she walked over to the door and opened it to find a brunette standing there dressed in jeans and a sweater.

"Hi, you must be Mattie," Beth said with a smile, taking an educated guess.

"Do I know you?" Mattie asked, surprised that this woman knew her name, but stepping aside to let her into the apartment.

"Not yet, but I hope to change that. My name's Beth, I'm a friend of Harm's."

"Ah, you're the maybe 'girlfriend'," Mattie said, placing the name and enjoying the look that came when she air-quoted the word girlfriend.

"For right now, I'll take that," Beth said. "And maybe with some time and work, it will be actual girlfriend."

"Well, good luck with that. He doesn't strike me as the romantic type."

"That's something he and I can work on. I do know that he's loyal, caring, and dependable. If Harmon Rabb says he's got you, just close your eyes and fall back. You'll never hit the ground. Of course, I am a little biased, because he saved my life."

Mattie's eyes lit up at that, instantly sensing a great story. However, before she could ask someone else spoke up.

"I'd say we're even in that regard, Beth," Harm said from the doorway, causing both women to jump slightly. "And I still believe the corpsman who said you had to jump my bones to do it."

"I've told you that was pure scuttlebutt, but you go right on believing that, Harm, if it makes you feel any better."

The two of them just smiled at each other, before a cough from Mattie broke the connection.

"You guys have got to tell me the stories about that," Mattie said, looking at the two of them. She could easily see there was more between them than Harm wanted to admit, leading Mattie to wonder what lay behind Harm's difficulty with relationships and admitting his feelings.

So, while Harm began making dinner, Beth and Mattie sat on the couch. Beth told Mattie about her ramp strike and how Harm had saved her life when her parachute drifted over the side of the ship and she almost ended up in the water. Mattie's eyes were practically bugging out of her head by the time the story was finished.

"Wow!" Mattie exclaimed. "That sounds a little too close for comfort."

"Yeah, it was. I had some nightmares about it for a while, like if the parachute hadn't caught there or had ripped away before Harm got there. A few years later, when I was court-martialed and he was my attorney, there was a bad stretch in the trial and I got scared. He just looked at me and reminded me of that night. He said, 'I didn't drop you then and I'm not going to drop you now'. As soon as he said those words, it was like a weight had been lifted. That's why I say, if you've got him in your corner, you've got nothing to worry about."

Harm had been listening to Beth tell her story while he cooked, but he hadn't been prepared for how much her words affected him. When he'd seen the parachute drifting over the side, he hadn't known whose it was. He had simply reacted to the situation without a thought, never guessing how that action would affect his life. Without sounding cliché, he did feel a certain responsibility for Beth because of that night. Much of their friendship was tied to the mutual trust they shared.

The soft ding of the kitchen timer snapped Harm out of his thoughts, while bringing the ladies over from the couch. Harm had decided on grilled salmon with au gratin potatoes and sweet corn, followed by chocolate cake for dessert. Harm handed over plates, glasses and silverware for them to set the table with while he carried the serving dishes over. Based on Mattie being at the table, he settled on a can of soda for her and juice for him and Beth.

Throughout the dinner, conversation flowed smoothly around the table and Harm was delighted to see how well Mattie was connecting with both himself and Beth. In his mind, that was important especially if he was to get full guardianship of her. Mattie needed to feel completely free to say anything. Harm had no experience as a parent or parental figure and he knew that he would make mistakes, so she would have to be comfortable enough to tell him if he did.

Beth and Mattie, for their parts, were enjoying teasing Harm. They were also finding common ground through their mutual affection for him. While Mattie wasn't looking for another mother, she did know that there were things both now and in the future that she simply wouldn't be comfortable talking with Harm about. She thought that Beth could be the person she went to in those times.

It was when dinner was done that Mattie turned back to the original topic of the evening.

"Now that Beth has told me how you saved her life, it's only fair that you tell the story of how she saved yours," Mattie told him.

"It's a fairly long story," Harm said, still not entirely comfortable remembering that night.

Beth could see the emotions in his eyes, so she reached over and gently took his hand in hers. When he looked over at her, she gave his hand a squeeze and smiled before nodding her head. Neither of them said a word, but the message was still loud and clear.

So, after moving from the table to the living area with Harm and Beth taking the couch while Mattie sat in the chair, Harm closed his eyes, took a deep breath and began the story. He started talking about his carrier qualifications before carrying on with the storm and the reason it was so urgent for him to get back that he had to fly through such terrible weather. By the time he and Beth had to eject, silent tears could be seen trailing down Harm's cheeks while Mattie sat in shocked silence.

"Because I didn't want to disappoint Mac, I took a bad risk that almost resulted in Beth's and my deaths," Harm said quietly. "I am so sorry I put you through that, Beth."

"None of what happened that night was your fault. The weather wasn't forecast to be as bad as it actually was or to have moved as fast as it did, the plane began to malfunction. All things you couldn't control. I have never blamed you for what happened, so you shouldn't blame yourself," Beth said as she wrapped an arm around him.

After giving Harm a few moments to compose himself, they waited for him to continue. When he did, it was to talk about the long, cold time in the water. But after a few moments, he stopped again once the helicopter had picked him up.

"Harm?" Mattie asked when she sensed that Harm wasn't going to continue.

"When they brought him into sick bay, he was severely hypothermic and unresponsive," Beth told her. "We came very close to losing him, until he finally started to respond."

"I remember hearing your voice, calling to me from far away. You were saying 'Save me'," Harm said, looking into Beth's eyes. "Your voice is what brought me back, you saved me."

Mattie saw that a moment was occurring between the two adults, so she settled back in the chair to wait silently.

"When I was calling for you to save me, that was when I jumped your bones," Beth finally confessed to him. "I had been standing next to you, telling you I needed you and that you'd promised to be there for me. But you kept slipping away, so I climbed into bed with you and pressed my body against yours, getting as close as I could. That's when you finally started to respond and I told you not to let go. I only climbed off when you said you couldn't breathe," she concluded with an impish smile.

"And you kept saying you didn't jump my bones," Harm replied with a grin.

"I lied, because the truth scared the hell out of me. You asked me a question right after you said you couldn't breathe, do you remember?" Seeing a blank look on his face, she answered for him. "You asked if we had dated and it was like a jolt to my very soul, because until that moment I had never dared to hope that you could see me that way. You always called me Skates, until the other night when we had dinner."

"Skates is my friend, my RIO, my shipmate. The attractive, desirable woman who asked me on a date is Beth and she is someone I could definitely see myself dating and falling in love with."

"And you didn't think he was the romantic type, Mattie," Beth teased the teen. "That sounded pretty good to me."

"Well, what do you know? You can tell people you love them," Mattie teased Harm.

"Hey, I told you I love you," Harm came back defensively. "And when did this become pick on Harm night, anyway?"

Beth and Mattie both laughed at Harm's aggrieved face, which eventually got him to laughing as well. This helped to lighting up the somewhat somber and serious mood. Mattie also remembered something from the previous conversation and decided to ask about it.

"Why did Harm call you Skates?"

"Skates is my call sign. I got it because I grew up on wheels."

"So, what was Harm's call sign?"

"Well, when he first join the squadron…."

"Don't you dare say it!" Harm shouted, catching the laughing look in Beth's eyes.

"It was Pappy, Mattie," Beth told the teen, both of the laughing.

"That never gets repeated, Mattie, understood? That goes for you too, Beth."

The pair of women shared a look before launching into calls of "Pappy! Pappy! Pappy!" Harm tried to look hurt and offended but couldn't stop the huge grin that overtook him, as he saw another example of how well Mattie and Beth were bonding. That would be important if he was to have a relationship with Beth while also being Mattie's guardian.

The evening ended when Mattie began to yawn, followed by Beth. The teen grabbed her night clothes and headed for the bathroom, which gave Harm enough time to chastely kiss Beth goodnight. Beth, on the other hand, was having none of that and pulled Harm back in for a deeper, more thorough kiss. As they broke apart, she softly said "I love you, Harmon Rabb."

Harm opened his mouth to speak, only to have Beth lay a finger across his lips.

"Don't say anything. Just think about what I said and when you're really ready to say it, I'll be there to hear it."

Harm could only watch her leave in stunned silence before closing the door and turning to find Mattie standing at the top of the steps leading down from the landing. She didn't say anything as she made her way to the couch and began to lay out the sheets and blanket, before settling in for the night. Harm just watched her for a moment, then turned out the lights and walked towards the bedroom. In the dark, he quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and lay down on the bed. Yet, try as he might, sleep took a long time in coming, while his thoughts whirled.


	10. Chapter 10

November 27, 2003

The Roberts' House – Alexandria, Virginia

1331 Eastern

Beth had arrived back at Harm's a little early this morning, wanting to offer Mattie any help she might need to get ready for the party. She had decided on wearing a simple emerald green dress, while selecting a silver necklace as her only visible jewelry. The loose nature of her hair style hid whatever earrings she might have been wearing. Her makeup was soft, with only a splash of red on the lips.

Harm was doubly glad to see Beth. Firstly, because he knew Mattie was a tomboyish teen who had been decidedly uncomfortable with the idea of wearing a dress today. She had still been simply glowering at the two dresses that she had brought with her when Beth did arrive. Beth had taken the scene in in a glance and picked up the two dresses. With a gentle hand, she had guided the teen into the bedroom while shooting Harm a glance that positively screamed "Stay Away!"

An hour and a half passed while Harm waited. He had planned on fixing breakfast, but didn't want it to be done before Beth and Mattie were finished. There was no sense in letting the food grow cold. Finally, a soft cough caught his attention and he turned towards the sound. Seeing Mattie standing there, he smiled as he looked at the picture before him. The dark blue of the dress was contrasted by the red waves of hair. Beth had obviously used a little makeup on the teen, judging by the added color on her cheeks and light eye shadow.

"You look wonderful, Mattie," Harm said encouragingly.

"Thank you, Harm," Mattie replied softly.

"Well, now that we're done, how about fixing us some breakfast before you hit the shower," Beth said with a grin. "Because we are definitely not going to the party with you dressed like that."

Harm could only grin sheepishly. His trouble sleeping last night had resulted in a later than normal start to the morning, so he was still wearing his sweat pants and a T-shirt. Deciding to keep things simple and knowing they'd be eating heartily in a few hours, he settled on scrambled eggs and some sausages for Mattie and Beth.

Once he had finished eating, Harm headed for the bathroom and a quick shower and shave. From there, he headed into the bedroom area in search of what he would wear for the day. What he finally settled on was a grey suit he'd bought while working for the CIA. This was paired with a light blue shirt and grey tie to match the suit. Mattie and Beth both smiled with approval at the image he presented. If someone didn't know he was a naval officer, Harm could have been easily mistaken for a successful businessman.

"Well, don't you look sharp," Beth said as she approached for a kiss.

"Thank you, ma'am," Harm said as he held her close for a moment or two.

It was a glance at the clock that made Harm realize that they were running late. So, he hurriedly directed the ladies to get their coats and head downstairs. Walking out, he paused to quickly lock the apartment door before following them down the stairs and on out to the Lexus. Mattie quickly jumped into the backseat, leaving Harm and Beth able to sit side-by-side for the drive across town.

Fortunately, traffic was relatively light because of the holiday. Most families were either already together or weren't planning anything until later in the day, which meant most people weren't out driving. It was when they arrived at their destination that Harm realized that they were probably the last to show, resulting in them being the center of attention when they walked in.

After finding a parking space down the street, Harm led the ladies up the walk to the house and through the front door. Pausing inside the entryway, he helped Beth and Mattie out of their coats before looking for a place to put them. Thankfully, Harriet had seen them come in and came to the rescue.

"Commander, glad you could make it," she said excitedly, her eyes taking in the two unfamiliar females that had accompanied him.

"Thank you for having us, Harriet. Where are you storing the coats?" Harm asked.

"Upstairs in the front bedroom. Just lay them on the bed."

Harm disappeared upstairs, dropped the coats on the bed and swiftly made his way back downstairs. He saw that Harriet, Beth and Mattie were still standing where he'd left them and quickly realized his mistake.

"Harriet, I'm so sorry. Forgive my bad manners, ladies. Allow me to introduce our hostess, Lieutenant Harriet Sims. Harriet, this young lady is my ward, Mattie Grace. And this is my girlfriend, Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Hawkes."

It was easily debatable who was more shocked at the moment. Harriet looked like she was going to pass out and, for a brief second, Harm thought he was going to have to catch her if she did. But the moment passed and she quickly recovered herself. The other shocked party was one Elizabeth Hawkes. Nothing had prepared her for Harm's introduction of her as his girlfriend. She'd been expecting friend or good friend, but not girlfriend.

Seeing this, Harm edged slightly closer to Beth and whispered into her ear.

"Just because you wouldn't let me say it, doesn't mean I don't feel it, darling. I do love you."

Beth shuddered slight at both the tone and the words, not noticing the looks they were getting from Harriet and Mattie. Seeing that they were being ignored for the moment, Harriet turned to Mattie and smiled.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mattie."

"It's nice to meet you too, Lieutenant Sims."

"No, it's Harriet," she said, looking at the teen. "You're not in the navy and you're a guest in my house. Even Harm just calls me Harriet."

"Then why do you call him Commander?" Mattie asked.

"It's alright for a superior officer to call a junior officer by their first name, especially in a social setting. A junior officer can call a superior officer by their first name very rarely and only if they have a long friendship. But never while on duty."

"That's weird. I mean, you don't stop being friends just because you're on duty, do you?"

"No, we don't, but overfamiliarity can lead to disciplinary action because it's contrary to good order and discipline. Those things are essential in the Navy, Mattie, because when a superior officer issues an order, there isn't time for discussion. Instant obedience may well be vital to saving lives," Harriet told the teen.

"It's something you learn, Mattie," Harm said to her as he came over, Beth by his side. "We've all been trained in that and lots more, whether at the Academy, NROTC, OCS or boot camp."

"Well, I need to get back into the kitchen and check on dinner. There are snacks and drinks in the dining room and everybody is either in the living room, the den or in the back yard. Make sure you find little AJ, Commander, he was asking about you when the others started arriving," Harriet said as she turned to leave them.

Harm smiled as he watched her walk away, before leading Mattie and Beth into the living room. Everyone had heard their arrival and were all staring at the entryway with a mixture of expressions on their faces. Bud and Coates were sitting on the couch, with little AJ between them, while Sturgis, Mac and the Admiral were congregated near the fireplace. The only ones of the five who recognized either Beth or Mattie were Mac and AJ and the resulting expressions when they each made the connections were well worthy of film.

AJ was very curious why Harm would have brought that girl with him to a party and why her parents would have allowed him to have done so. Sure, she used to be his 'boss', but AJ still thought that was just a bad joke that Harm had been trying to play on him. Nobody was going to let some kid run their business. AJ also thought the girl was obnoxious, remembering how she'd called him a bald guy and the jerk who'd fired Harm.

Mac's attention, though, was squarely focused on the brunette by Harm's side. She well remembered Skates and she was shocked to see the little naval flight officer here. The last time Mac could remember Harm speaking about Skates was a couple of years ago, right after his trip to the Super Bowl when he'd finally confessed about the tickets and great seats. Yet, here he was with her, his hand joined in hers, together with a young redhead. The image it struck in Mac's mind was of a happy family. Skates couldn't be Harm's girlfriend, could she?

Sturgis's expression didn't waver, just that bland look that had become his habit. He still wasn't entirely comfortable socializing with the rest of the staff, but because the Admiral had decided to attend Sturgis felt he had to as well. Seeing Harm with the two ladies, he quickly guessed that the brunette was his friend's new girlfriend. At that, he shifted his eyes to Mac and watched her reaction. Things were certain to get interesting, he thought.

Both Coates and Bud had happy expressions on their faces. Neither of them knew who the two ladies were, but they could clearly see that Harm was happier now that he had been recently. It was simple enough for them to guess that either one or both of the women were responsible to that change in their friend.

Harm could see that everybody was looking at him. So rather than moving from person to person making introductions, he decided to just introduce Mattie and Beth to the entire room. After that, he would then introduce them to those who came to meet them.

"Everyone, may I introduce you to my companions. This is Mattie Grace, my ward, who I'm working with the Montgomery Country Family Courts to get full guardianship. And this is Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Hawkes, my former RIO and current girlfriend," Harm announced with a broad smile on his face.

With that, the rest of the room came over towards them. Coates and Bud were closest and the first to introduce themselves to the two woman, followed by Sturgis. AJ and Mac, conversely, made directly for Harm and moved him off towards the den. Beth watched this helplessly, worried about what this potentially meant. Yet, there was no way for her to follow without being unnecessarily rude. So, she contented herself to watching over Mattie and meeting Harm's friends and colleagues.

Once they had gotten him alone, AJ and Mac silently exchanged a look before AJ began to speak.

"Let me make sure I heard you correctly, Commander. You are that girl's guardian?"

"Yes, Sir, I am," Harm answered, curious about what was going on here.

"And where exactly are her parents?"

"Her mother was killed in a car wreck and her father's whereabouts are presently unknown. When I discovered the true nature of her situation, I offered to help Mattie."

"That doesn't surprise me," Mac put it. "Is she going to be another one of your quests, Harm? And when you get bored with her, are you going to abandon her too?"

"Mac, not that it's really any of your business, but I've made Mattie a promise. No matter what happens, I'll always be there for her," Harm said.

"And you don't make promises you can't keep."

"No, I don't."

"I'm surprised that a family court would consider you for guardianship of a teenage girl, Commander," AJ said, taking over the conversation again. "There's so much against you there: single male, living in a loft with no space for the girl. Your job could send you half way around the globe at a moment's notice for an extended period of time."

"Is that an observation, Sir, or should I get my bags packed?" Harm asked, fighting to keep his rising temper under wraps.

"Strictly an observation. As is the fact that your involuntary recall can potentially be terminated at any time, which would leave you without either a steady source of income with which to support yourself and the girl or medical benefits. And don't try to tell me that crop-dusting business would be able to provide either of those things for you."

"I appreciate your concern, Sir, but my personal life is just that, personal. Let me simply say that Mattie's and my needs will be well taken care of, whether I remain in the Navy or not. I've purchased a house and we are moving in there this weekend."

"And how is your relationship with Skates going to survive those 6 month deployments, Harm?" Mac asked.

"Well, Mac, we won't have to worry about that for the next three years. Beth is teaching at the Academy, so we'll be able to spend plenty of time together. And if she gets deployed in the future, we'll handle it just like you and Webb handle your separations. Where is he, anyway?" Harm asked with a little grin.

Whatever Mac's response might have been was cut off when Bud appeared to let them know dinner was ready. When they all reached the dining room, Harm saw that someone must have guessed what was happening in the den, because the seating arrangements had Harm, Mattie and Beth towards one end of the table while the Admiral and Mac were at the opposite end.

The obvious tension between the three senior attorneys caused the conversation around the table to be somewhat stilted. Harm made a good effort to join in, but his earlier good humor had been dampened by the confrontation. Mac and AJ was largely silent throughout the meal and both of them left as soon as was polite afterwards. After that, some of the mood was restored. Harm spent almost an hour playing with his godson, while also talking with the rest of the group.

Eventually the party began to break up. Harm made sure to invite Bud and Harriet over to the new house on Saturday. He explained that the furniture was being delivered then, so things might be a little messy, but he wanted them to see it. When Coates and Sturgis heard this, they invited themselves along, saying that Harm could probably use all the help he could get.

Sarah MacKenzie's Apartment – Georgetown

1917 Eastern

After leaving the party at Bud and Harriet's, Mac had spent several hours just driving around while thinking. Harm's remark about Clay not being at the party had hit a little close to home. Nobody at the office knew, because she hadn't said anything, but Clay was out of the country and would be gone for several weeks. When she'd asked him where he was going, he'd been vague, saying that he had meetings scheduled in Europe and his itinerary was classified. He had promised to call, which he had done until last night.

Now, as she walked through her front door, she instantly went to check the answer machine and found no messages waiting. There were also no missed calls on her caller ID. With that done, she went into the kitchen and returned with a glass of iced tea. She turned on the stereo and settled back on the couch, letting her mind drift as she thought about her life and what she wanted most. She smiled a little as she remembered something she'd one said to Harm about a good man, a good career and comfortable shoes, lots and lots of them.

Well, she reflected, she had a good career and plenty of comfortable shoes. What she wanted now was that good man. As she reflected, she felt doubts creeping in as to whether Clay was that man. The secrets and lies bothered her immensely, because she knew a relationship needed a foundation of trust in order to survive. And if he couldn't tell her where he was going, what he was doing or even when he'd be back, that road led to doubts and questions. Mac was only human, so when there was mystery or missing information, it was only natural that her mind would try to imagine what was actually happening.

Then there was Harm and the harem he'd showed up with. Mac still shook her head, remembering his almost casual announcement that he had a ward and a new girlfriend. She couldn't help wondering how long either of those situations would last, given the track record Harm had with relationships. Sure, he'd said all the right things about Mattie, but he'd said all the right things about Sergei and look how that turned out. How long could it really be before he got bored with Mattie and what would the fallout of that be? As for Skates, what did Harm see in her anyways? She was short and plain, with the voice of a mouse. She was nothing like Harm's previous conquests, rather she was almost the exact opposite.

What Mac was missing, because she wasn't ready to look there yet, was that the possibility existed that Harm's prior relationships had failed because they were based around the physical. Whereas the relationship he might have with Skates was born out of a friendship first that had developed into something more. If she was willing to be perfectly honest with herself, she would admit that Harm and Skates was a relationship that could last.


	11. Chapter 11

November 28, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

0742 Eastern

Coates was just finishing a telephone call when the Admiral came out of his office, steam practically shooting from his ears. From the glare he was directing at her, she was either the one responsible for the issue or the one he'd elected to hold responsible. Therefore, she quickly shot to her feet and braced herself.

"What is this?!" AJ shouted at her, waving a piece of paper.

"I don't know, Sir."

"It is a request for a personal day for one Commander Harmon Rabb Junior, Petty Officer. A request that you just stuck in a stack of papers and left for me to find."

"Sir, I gave you that request Wednesday morning with the morning messages, Sir," Coates said defensively.

"Watch your tone, Petty Officer! That was close to insubordination and disrespect of a superior officer!" AJ screamed at her. "Not to mention the potential dereliction of duty involved. For example, how long ago was Commander Rabb recalled to the Navy?"

"About two weeks ago, Sir."

"And he had resigned his commission before them, correct?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Now, Petty Officer, given those facts, would the Commander have had any leave time available to use for this request?" AJ asked.

"No, Sir," Coates answered.

"Then, when he gave you that request, you should have reminded him of that fact, Petty Officer. Now, you are going to have to fix your mistake."

"How, Sir."

"Well, I would suggest that you call the Commander and advise him of the situation, Petty Officer. Inform him that failure to report for duty will result in him being charged with Unauthorized Absence and that he has until 1000 to report here," AJ told her before stalking out of the space and heading across the bullpen.

Having heard the explosion and not wanting any of the Admiral's rage directed at them, the support staff managed to keep their heads down. What they missed was the secret smile that crossed AJ's lips as he made his way to the galley and then back to his office with a cup of coffee. When he was back in his office and the door was closed, AJ made for the computer and started digging. His first search was for information on the house that Harm had bought. Only Coates' reminder about staff call brought an end to the searching.

JAG Headquarters – Fall Church, Virginia

1554 Eastern

Harm had been less than happy with his early morning call from Petty Officer Coates, but quickly realized the real person behind it. He had made a simple assumption, based on past events. Never before had a request for a personal day been denied by the Admiral. The Admiral also should have known the reason behind the request, because Harm had not only listed it on the request form but also from his conversation with the Admiral yesterday.

Also, if there had been a problem with granting the request, something should have been said on Wednesday. When he had said something to Coates, there had been a noticeable pause on the telephone before she replied that the Admiral claimed to have not seen the request until that morning. Harm knew instantly that that was simply an excuse on the Admiral's part, but he couldn't very well say that to a Petty Officer without potentially raising charges of disrespect towards a superior officer from the Admiral if it got back to him. So, Harm had simply thanked the young woman and said he'd be there shortly before hanging up and making a mad dash through the apartment to get ready for a day quite different than he had planned.

A swift shower and shave was followed by toweling dry and climbing into a set of service blues. Mattie was sitting up and blinking sleepily when Harm came back down from the bedroom area.

"What's up, Harm?" she asked.

"I've got to get in to work. My request for the day off was denied."

"Damn, that means I'm stuck here for another day by myself."

Harm heard the annoyed tone in his ward's voice and sympathized with her. The apartment wasn't exactly in a neighborhood where she could go out for a walk and there was really nothing in the apartment for her to do. He almost laughed in amusement at the situation, before his mind supplied a solution to the problem. Only it also was another problem, he thought before reaching for his phone.

"Lieutenant Commander Hawkes, Sir."

"Good morning, darling," Harm said, his pleasure evident in his voice.

"Oh, it is now," Beth purred back, fully awake now.

"I'm sorry to do this to you, but I won't be here today. My request for a personal day just got denied by the Admiral, so I have to go in."

"Well, we can still get together for dinner, although I was looking forward to spending a relaxing day it you."

"We certainly can have dinner together, but I do have a favor I need to ask," Harm said cautiously.

"I think I can guess. Mattie's feeling a little cooped up in your no television bachelor pad and you were hoping I could stop by and keep her company," Beth said, almost laughing at Harm. "I'll tell you what, Harm. You go off to work and I'll stop by in about two hours, after I take a shower. Then Mattie and I will find a way to entertain ourselves until you come home tonight."

"Thanks, Beth. I'll let Mattie know you'll be coming and I'll see you tonight. I love you, darling."

"I love you too, Harm."

Hanging up the phone, he turned to Mattie who was grinning from ear to ear. Clearly she had heard enough of the call to know what was going on. She had also fixed a pot of coffee while he'd been on the phone, so she could now hand him a cup. The hot liquid stung going down, but his need for caffeine necessitated it. Finished, he set the cup down and headed out the door.

Because of his late start, Harm missed staff call but did manage to report before the 1000 deadline. So, he had headed for his office and closed the door before starting in on more case files. It was more of the same, those relatively minor cases that had been allowed to linger when more important matters had needed addressing. What made matters even worse, in Harm's opinion, is that at least half of the cases he'd handled this week never should have even been sent to JAG HQ. Rather, they could and should have been handled by the various JAG and NLSO offices around the country.

Knowing that complaining about the situation wouldn't achieve any results, Harm just lowered his shoulders and attacked the pile. The lunch hour passed and still he worked away. It was only a knock on the door that finally broke the tide. Looking up, he saw Coates standing there.

"Excuse me, Commander. The Admiral wants to see you ASAP," she said.

"Any clue as to what it's about, Coates?" Harm asked as he stood up.

"No, Sir. He's been holed up in his office all day, though, and he's been making a number of calls, judging by the lights on the phone."

"Alright, then. Thank you very much."

Harm walked swiftly from his office to the Admiral's and knocked. An instant shout of "Enter" brought Harm through the door and in front of the Admiral's desk.

"Commander Rabb, reporting as ordered, Sir."

"Commander, some disturbing information has come to my attention and I intend to get to the bottom of it before either of us leave this office," AJ said, a harsh tone to his voice.

"What information, Sir?" Harm asked, puzzled at what he might had done to provoke this type of interrogation.

"Well, I'd start with the fact that you just purchased a new house. It closed at 975 thousand dollars, yet somehow you managed to pay cash for it. The financial disclosure on file for you listed a net worth well shy of that amount. In addition to that purchase, there is also the 400 thousand dollars you paid to the Third National Bank of Virginia with respect to various loans against Grace Aviation and a property outside of Blacksburg."

Harm's face had steadily turned white as he listened to AJ, his temper skyrocketing as the implications sprang forth. AJ saw this and misread the reaction, seeing it as guilt, shock and concern. The next few minutes would sadly prove him not only wrong but also destroy any hope the Admiral might have harbored that Harm would voluntarily stay at JAG.

"Commander, I demand an explanation and if I am not satisfied with that explanation, rest assured that I will be calling the Inspector General's office and having a full investigation done on the source of that money," AJ concluded, crossing his arms across his chest and glaring at the younger officer in front of him.

By this point, Harm was practically boiling with rage. Only the small calming voice whispering in the back of his head kept him from doing anything that would instantly end his career. Slowly, he took several deep breaths, not caring that he was making the Admiral wait for his answer. Finally, it was time, his temper as much under control as he could hope for.

"The source of that money was a college fund my mother and step-father had created for me, Sir. When I began to apply for guardianship of Mattie, I knew I would need help financially. I approached them about that college fund, only to be informed that what I had hoped would be a savings account of something around a hundred thousand dollars was actually an investment portfolio worth over 60 million dollars. That portfolio was transferred into my name and I submitted an updated financial disclosure document to BUPERS, Sir. I also have a copy of that disclosure in my office, Sir."

"Very well, Commander. Get me a copy of that disclosure," AJ said.

"Aye, aye, Sir. I'll also be giving you another copy of my resignation request and a transfer request. This is a perfect example of why I had no desire to be in your command, Sir. Rather than come to me and ask, you assumed I was hiding something and showed absolutely no trust that I would truthfully answer your questions. Just like you believed I was capable of murdering Lieutenant Singer," Harm spat the last sentence out, still remembering the way he'd been treated by the man across from him.

"You're coming dangerously close to disrespect, mister," AJ growled at him.

"I'm not finished, Admiral. I also intend to inform the Inspector General about this conversation and demand that his office look into your private investigation of my personal life, as well. My personnel records are supposed to be confidential and not supposed to be used in the manner that you've elected to use them, Sir."

The Admiral glared at Harm, loathing the man standing in front of him, yet also well aware of the fundamental line that had been crossed. Somewhere, something had gone vastly wrong in his relationship with the Commander and now it was irretrievably broken. He had made a massive mistake in judgment and would now have to face the consequences.

"You're dismissed, Commander," AJ finally said.

"Aye, aye, Sir."

Harm exited the office and closed the door behind him. He hurried to his office and got the three forms, placing them in a folder and bringing them back to the Admiral's outer office. He handed the folder to Coates and instructed her to give it to the Admiral. A glance at his watch and he decided to secure for the day, wanting nothing more than to leave JAG and not look back.

Harmon Rabb's Apartment – North of Union Station

1756 Eastern

Harm stepped out of the stairway door to be greeted by the sound of blues emanating from his apartment. Opening the apartment door, he stepped into a sea of boxes. A stunned look crossed his face as he realized that almost the entire apartment had been packed up. Mattie and Beth were both sitting on the couch, smug expressions on their faces as they watched Harm take it all in.

"We decided to kill two birds with one stone," Beth said as she stood to greet Harm, reaching up to claim a kiss.

"Yep, hours of girl talk while getting this place ready for tomorrow. Oh, and Beth called a moving company. They'll be by first thing in the morning to load all of this and take it over to the house," Mattie put in as she also came over to Harm, settling for a hug.

"You've been busy today," Harm said, the mood of his day having mostly changed just from stepping through the front door.

Beth, however, could see that something big had happened. She'd seen Harm display a number of different emotions in the time she'd know him, but never before had she seen him this upset. He was Mr. Cool, always presenting that fighter pilot front. She remembered his voice the night they'd pushed Tuna's plane by the tailhook. Compared to the almost panic in hers, his had been the tone of someone ordering dinner. The only time it changed was when she'd questioned his decision and he's raised his voice for a moment. His calm and confidence in her had inspired her, restoring her confidence in herself.

"You look like you had an awful day," Beth said when Mattie had stepped away.

"You don't know the half of it, darling," Harm replied, pulling Beth to him gently, holding her close.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Well, I have a phone call to make. Why don't you listen in and then you can ask any questions you might have afterwards."

Beth's curiosity was sparked by that comment, so she sat down silently on the couch while Harm picked up the phone and came to sit next to her. He quickly dialed a number and when the other end was answered, asked to speak with the senior officer on duty. He held the phone in such a way that Beth could clearly hear both sides of the conversation, while Harm detailed what had transpired in the Admiral's office that afternoon. Beth watched Harm's face as he spoke and while his voice remained calm, she could clearly see the returning anger. Taking his free hand in hers, she gently caressed it while looking him in the eyes. It took him a second to realize what she was soundlessly saying to him, then his heart lifted as his mind revealed the words "I love you".

Two hours of questioning took place, not only about the events of that day but also Harm's involuntary recall, the review of Imes' cases and the current cases he was working on. By the time he was finished, he felt like he'd been through the ringer. However, judging by the look on Beth's face, more was still to come.

"My God, Harm, what happened over there?" Beth asked in shock.

"Things change, people do too. Some things were said and done that, not just today but over the last year or so, and it's all built up to this. That's part of the reason why I didn't want to return to JAG when the Admiral came for me," Harm told her. "JAG had become like a field of snow. When the snow is fresh, it looks so clean and pure. It's only after the snow melts away that you see the garbage that it had covered."

"So, what happens now?"

"Now, I wait until the Inspector General's office does their investigation. After that is anybody's guess. The Admiral crossed a line, but whether the SECNAV will press for charges or not? I don't know and I don't know what will happen with me."

Leave it to Mattie to break the mood that was developing, however.

"Uh, guys, what's for dinner?" she asked. Seeing their looks, she turned defensive. "What? I've told you before, Harm, hungry teenager here."

Harm couldn't help but laugh at that, so he stood up followed by Beth. Seeing the state of the kitchen, an instant decision was made to go out for dinner. Harm even decided on a steak house in deference to the woman, figuring he could find a salad or something while they had their meat. A nice night out with two most important people in his life.


	12. Chapter 12

November 29, 2003

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

1302 Eastern

The morning had unfolded almost flawlessly. Beth had come over to the loft early that morning, where she had joined Harm and Mattie for breakfast. The trio packed the last few items in the apartment, so that everything would be ready when the movers came at 1100. Then it was time for them to split up. Beth and Mattie would stay at the apartment waiting for the movers, while Harm drove over to the new house.

Fortunately, the weather was a nice late fall day, with the temperature cool and the sky clear. This would make it easier for both the movers and the furniture delivery people, while virtually eliminating mud from being tracked through the house. Traffic was relatively light, since tourist season was over and with it the extra traffic that resulted from it.

Harm arrived at the house on Sycamore just before 1000, pulling in just ahead of the first delivery truck. Seeing the store name on the side, Harm remembered what had been bought there and mentally calculated where the various items were supposed to go. Climbing out of the Lexus, he hurried to open the house and begin directing the delivery people. It was as the first load was entering the house that Sturgis arrived. The two friends shook hands while watching the delivery people come back down for the next load.

This was destined for the downstairs bedroom and Harm pointed it out as he led them through the house. Sturgis, on the other hand, was simply admiring the sheer size of the house, curious why his friend would have bought such a big home for just two people. His contemplation was broken when Harm called for him to come back. The delivery people were going back out to the truck for another load, while Harm was wrestling with setting the bed up.

"Grab the footboard, Sturgis," Harm said, as he connected the side rails to the headboard. Once the footboard was standing, the side rails were connected to that. Then followed the lengths of board that went between the side rails, which would support the box spring and mattress.

"Whose bedroom is this, Harm," Sturgis asked.

"Oh, just a guest room for when my mom and Frank visit."

A call from the front of the house brought them out of the bedroom to find the delivery people bringing in the new living room set. Standing behind them were Bud and Harriet, each carrying bags of linens from the truck. Harm showed the delivery people where he wanted the couch and love seat, while telling Sturgis to show Bud and Harriet to the back bedroom. He figured that the linens could just be put there for the time being. Once everything was in the house, then he could sort where everything would go.

Once the living room was done, the truck was empty of Harm's purchases and they left. Fortunately, the timing worked perfectly, as the second delivery truck arrived not 10 minutes after the first one had departed. This truck had the last bedroom set aboard, along with the dining room furniture and the home entertainment system that Mattie had convinced him to purchase. When that was in, Harm directed Bud to set it up. Then, he and Sturgis went upstairs to set up the two new beds while Harriett got the dining room situated after it was brought in.

The only slight problem in the day came when the movers' truck arrived while the delivery truck was still in the driveway. That problem was quick to solve, however, since all that remained were a few bags of linens. Harriet, Beth and Mattie quickly grabbed those, enabling the truck to leave and allowing the movers to begin to unload. Coates was the last person to arrive and apologized profusely for her tardiness. However, she refused to comment on what the source of her delay had been, but rather jumped in to help get things put away.

Beth and Mattie had planned things out well, carefully marking each box as to where in the loft its contents had come from. This enabled the movers to leave kitchen items downstairs, while Harm's books and bedroom items were carried upstairs to be left in the master bedroom and office. As the kitchen boxes came in, the group quickly unpacked the contents and loaded them into drawers and cupboards. The empty boxes were then broken down and placed by the backdoor, ready for Harm to either store them in the garage or place them out with the trash. While this was going on, Harriet left to collect the boys from the babysitter. With all the furniture inside the house, she felt it would be safe to have the boys around.

After the kitchen was finished, the next step was sorting out the various linens. Harm had simply kept his old ones for his bedroom, while it was easy to identify the ones Mattie had selected for hers. The remainder were divided between the upstairs and downstairs guest bedrooms. However, before any of the linens went on the beds, they would all need to be washed, with Mattie's having first priority. So, Harm gathered up a load and headed for the basement laundry room, thankful that the house had come with appliances.

Coming back upstairs, he found everybody settled in the living room.

"Is that everything?" Harm asked, as he went over to the loveseat and settled in next to Beth.

"Looks like it, Harm. There's still some stuff to be unpacked upstairs, but it's mostly your books and personal stuff. I kind of figured you'd want to do that yourself," Sturgis told him.

"The television is all set, but until you get cable you'll only have 4 or 5 channels," Bud said. "The house already has the connections installed, you'll just need the cable company to come out and turn the service on."

"I didn't think about that. I'd already had the other utilities either turned on or transferred over to me when I bought the house. Never even considered needing cable."

The rest of the group just shook their heads at that. Everybody but Coates had visited Harm's apartment and knew that he didn't have a television, so it wasn't entirely shocking that he wouldn't think about getting cable. Still, it was slightly funny, as was the look of horror on Mattie's face at the prospect of just 4 channels. That, to the teen, was almost as bad as having no television at all.

Harriet returned with the two boys. Jimmy went straight to his father, while little AJ stood there looking around at his new surroundings. His mother had told him they were going to Uncle Harm's but this wasn't Uncle Harm's. Yet, Uncle Harm was here, along with the nice girl with red hair he'd met at Thanksgiving. So, little AJ went over to where she sat and held his arms out for a hug. Mattie quickly scooped the young boy up and gave him a big hug.

Harm saw the interaction and raised an eyebrow at Bud.

"At Thanksgiving, when the Admiral and Colonel pulled you into the den, we were all introducing ourselves to Commander Hawkes. Well, little AJ was feeling left out, so he went up to Mattie and did that. When she hugged him, his face lit up," Bud said.

"Yeah, Commander. They were inseparable until it was time for dinner. After dinner, when it was time for you to leave, he got this sad look on his face," Harriet put in. "He was very excited when I told him we'd be seeing Mattie again today."

Everybody's eyes went back to where Mattie sat. Little AJ was now sitting on her lap, just looking up at her as she quietly talked to him. Harm smiled at the sight, thinking that Mattie looked like the perfect older sister. Harriet must have thought so too, because she took a camera from her purse and quickly snapped a couple of photos.

"You know, Harriet, if you and Bud are ever looking for a baby sitter, I might know where to find one," Harm said.

"We'll definitely take you up on that, Commander," Harriet said with a smile.

"Just let me know. Now, how about I order some lunch for us?"

"Don't get anything for me, Harm. I've got to be going," Sturgis said as he stood up.

"All right, thanks for all your help, buddy," Harm told him as he stood to walk his friend out.

When they were outside, Sturgis walked to his car and stopped before quietly turning to Harm.

"What in the hell is going on, Harm? I spent an hour on the phone with someone from the IG's office, answering a lot of questions about you and Admiral Chegwidden," Sturgis said softly.

"I really can't talk about this, Sturgis."

"Harm, you're not in any trouble, are you?"

"Just leave it alone. Please, for your own sake, just leave it alone," Harm said.

Whatever else Sturgis might have said was cut off as Coates came outside, so he just nodded his head, got into his car and drove off. Harm watched her walk to her old Escort and drive away, noticing that she still seemed distracted and quiet before realizing that she had probably gotten a call from the IG's office as well. Harm shrugged slightly, wondering if having a two-star involved was responsible for the speed the investigation was taking.

Going back into the house, Harm smiled as he looked around. While he had loved his loft, this was definitely somewhere he could picture as home. And not just for him and Mattie, but hopefully for Beth too. Their family home.

December 1, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

1148 Eastern

Staff call had been stiff this morning, with neither the Admiral nor Harm saying a single word more than was absolutely necessary. The frost in the air had nothing to do with the time of year, but rather from the close proximity of the two hostile officers. So, unfortunately, the rest of the staff was forced to simply hunker down and ride out the storm. This they were used to, but previously it had been the occasional chill passing between Harm and Mac.

A giant sigh of relief passed when the meeting was over and the staff could escape to their offices or the courtrooms. Harm, given no new cases today, was one of those who went to their offices. Other than the meeting, he'd had a good morning. With the new house and their residence in Falls Church established, he'd told Mr. Peabody on Sunday that Mattie would be able remain with him. This morning, he'd taken her to the high school and gotten her enrolled for, he hoped, the year.

A knock on the door brought Harm's head up.

"Hey, Harm," Mac said as she slipped into his office and shut the door.

"Colonel," Harm replied, keeping his tone civil yet slightly distant.

"I … um, I'm sorry for what I said at Bud and Harriet's, Harm. I don't want to lose your friendship."

Harm mentally sighed, wanting to take her words at face value. He could sense her difficulty in saying the words and the emotions beneath her voice.

"That's easy to say, Mac. But it's going to take me some time to believe that you actually regret those words. Because, while I do want to keep our friendship, Mattie and Beth are more important to me than being your friend."

"I understand that. For now, I guess, I just need to know you're still there for me," Mac said, softly, the ache plain in her voice, before turning and walking out of the office.

Harm wondered what had been about. Yes, her words had hurt him, but they also hadn't exactly surprised him. She had simply done what she'd often done, presumed that their friendship gave her the right to judge his decisions without all the facts. He'd often taken it in the past because he'd hoped for a deeper relationship with Mac. Now, he was no longer inclined to simply let those things pass. Their relationship was different now. He was different now.

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

1829 Eastern

Harm carried the plates to the kitchen table, where Mattie sat waiting for him. Beth was staying up at Annapolis tonight, because she had tests to grade as well as laundry to get done. So it was just the two of them for dinner. When he'd arrived home, Mattie had been at the table working on homework. So, while she did that, he had started cooking while also calling to schedule a time for both cable and high-speed internet service to be installed.

Dinner was going to be vegetable stir-fry with rice followed by homemade black cherry ice cream for dessert. As he was gathering the ingredients, Harm realized he'd definitely need to go shopping tomorrow. The refrigerator was getting bare, although he could probably scrape together one more dinner out of what was left. He'd deliberately not stocked up before the move, so there would be less to bring over. Now that they were here, however, he needed to fix that.

"How was your first day at the new school, Mattie?" Harm asked after sitting down.

"It was all right, I guess. I mean, I got my schedule, went to my classes, got homework and came home. Nothing much to it."

"Did you make any friends?"

"There are a couple of kids, but it's hard to make friends in just one day."

"Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to ask," Harm said with a smile.

"Not at all, even if you probably already knew the answer," Mattie told him.

"And the classes, similar to what you were taking in Blacksburg?"

"Yeah, same classes except for English Lit. This one's a college prep course, so there'll be more homework for that one. Also, the teachers are calling my old school to see how much makeup work I'll have to do before I'm caught up."

"I'll try to help you with any other that that I can."

"It's all right. I know I need to get caught up and the only way to learn it is to do it."

Harm smiled with pride at her attitude. No complaints about how hard it would be to do the extra work. No begging for help, either. She'd just put her head down and push on through. He hadn't expected any different. The phone rang then, drawing Harm from the table.

"Commander Rabb, Sir."

"And was your call this morning another duty call, Commander," came a gruff voice over the phone, one that brought a smile to Harm's face.

"No, Sir. I was calling to talk to you about a business opportunity."

"I was under the impression you are still in the Navy," Thomas Boone said. "So what business proposition could you possibly have for me?"

"Well, I have become the guardian of a young lady who owns a crop-dusting business. And as you put it, I'm still in the Navy, so I can't manage the business for her. We're looking for someone we can trust to manage the business until either I get out of the Navy or she's old enough to run it herself."

"And how soon do you need an answer, Harm?"

"It's the end of the season now, so the planes are being stored for the moment. We do need someone to supervise the employees while they handle maintenance. Of course, keep up on the bills and then report back to me and Mattie," Harm said.

"Is that her name, Mattie?" Tom Boone asked.

"Yes, Sir, Mattie Grace."

"And she'll be involved with the business, or will I be reporting to you?"

"You'll be reporting to both of us. And don't mistake the fact that she's a teenager for thinking you'll be able to snow her. She was running the business when I met her," Harm told him.

"I'll have to think about it, Harm," Tom temporized. "I've already got a job, you know."

"Yeah, but I've got something they don't."

"And what might that be?"

"A Stearman begging to be flown. I know you've got your private pilot's license, so you'd just have to find an instructor for your tail-wheel endorsement. There's a couple of them flying for Grace Aviation right now," Harm said with a smile.

"You're talking about your father's old plane?" Tom said, forcing back the emotion of that thought. Harm Sr. had planned to restore the old plane but had been shot down before that could happen.

"Yes, Sir. Fully restored and painted as a Navy training aircraft from World War Two."

"Well, Harm, give me a couple of days to think about it and I'll call you back."

"That's fine, Sir. I'll await your call, then. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, Harm. I haven't said yes," Tom Boone reminded him before hanging up.

'Maybe not, but I'll bet that you do,' Harm thought to himself as he hung up the phone.

"Who was that, Harm?" Mattie asked. She'd listened in on Harm's side of the conversation, so she didn't have to ask what it was about.

"That was an old friend of the family, Admiral Thomas Boone, retired," Harm told her, sitting back down at the table next to her.

"He's not a jerk like that Admiral you work for."

"Not every Admiral is a jerk, Mattie. And no, Tom Boone is not a jerk, although he sometimes comes across as one. He's just a very blunt, opinionated man who's not afraid to say 'This is who I am, if you don't like it, tough.' He's also honest and takes care of his people. He's someone I can trust to look after Grace Aviation until you're ready."

"All right, Harm. If you say I can trust him, I will," Mattie told him, hoping her faith in her guardian wasn't misplaced.


	13. Chapter 13

December 4, 2003

Secretary of the Navy's Office – The Pentagon

0858 Eastern

AJ sat in the SECNAV's waiting room, uncomfortably aware that the next few minutes were destined to be his last as a serving officer. When he'd received the summons last night, he had had a very good idea as to the subject of the meeting: Harmon Rabb Junior. The fire that was between the two of them just kept getting higher as more fuel was added to it and AJ was damned if he knew how things had reached this point. Where he resented Rabb and the cult of hero worship that followed the younger man around. Where he almost hated the man for the way in which Rabb continually disobeyed his orders. And that morally superior attitude was almost unbearably childish, as if the man didn't understand that not everything was black and white. Sometimes, what was right had to give way to what was necessary.

Finally, the door to the SECNAV's inner office opened and AJ was told to enter. Squaring his shoulders, he walked through the door and approached the desk. He had immediately noticed that the man was not alone. There were two other Admirals in the office, both of whom he recognized. Vice Admiral McCloskey was the Inspector General, while Admiral Parker was the Chief of Naval Operations. AJ had known both men for almost 30 years, but he was also well aware that this would not be of any assistance to him today.

"Admiral Chegwidden, reporting as ordered," AJ said to the SECNAV.

"Sit down, Admiral," SECNAV told AJ, before turning to the IG. "Admiral McCloskey, would you tell the others what you reported to me last night?"

"Yes, Sir. As a result of a call to the IG complaint hotline on 28 November, the office had been conducting a preliminary investigation into very serious allegations concerning both Admiral Chegwidden and JAG Headquarters. With regards to you, Admiral, the allegations included secretly investigating your officers personal lives, making false official statements in regards to those investigations and conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman. As for the situation at JAG Headquarters, the allegations include cases not being properly handled at lower levels. These relatively minor cases were therefore creating backlogs at Headquarters, because senior lawyers were having to deal with these in addition to the major cases that the office was established to handle. Also, there were questions raised regarding the Imes case review, in that you ordered a large number of these reviews to be redone by an officer you had involuntarily recalled to active duty. This, despite that fact that it was your Chief of Staff would had done the initial reviews."

Admiral McCloskey closed the folder he had been reading from and picked up a second, much larger folder.

"This contains the results of almost 70 different interviews my staff has conducted in the last week. These interviews were with both current and former members of the JAG Headquarters staff, officers and enlisted. There are also a number of interviews with SJAs, FJAs and officers commanding the various JAG offices around the country as well as several civilians and non-Navy officials. The picture painted by these interviews not only confirms the allegations, but points to a much more serious problem," McCloskey said, before giving way to the CNO.

"Too many of your senior officers have been in their positions for entirely too long, meaning that other officers assigned elsewhere have also been stuck where they are. This lack of new and different assignments means that these officers are handicapped with regards to potential future promotions. Look at Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie, both of whom have been at JAG Headquarters for 6 years or more. The average posting elsewhere in the Navy and Marine Corps is 3 years, maybe 4. I have here 22 different requests for these officers, a number of them in positions that would have ensured promotion as well as providing valuable command experience. All of these requests were denied by your office, Admiral."

At this point, the ball was squarely in the SECNAV's court. A lifetime in politics had ingrained a simple truth within him that applied to this situation. The storm that would result once word got out that the Navy's chief lawyer had been responsible for this mess would probably destroy the credibility of the Navy's JAG Corps for years to come. The hearings alone would probably consume a year or more, depending on which Congressmen and Senators wished to get involved in digging through the dirt. There was also the inevitable trial that would result from the filing of charges against Admiral Chegwidden, with more dirt potential unearthed then.

'No,' the Secretary thought with a sigh. 'This needs to be quietly buried, for the good of the Navy and the Country.'

"Admiral Chegwidden, you are relieved of your post as the Judge Advocate General of the Navy effective immediately. For the good of the Country, I will accept your request for immediate retirement," SECNAV said.

"I thought you might request that, Mr. Secretary," AJ said, fighting to keep a tight grip on his emotions as he pulled an envelope from his inside jacket pocket and handed it across the desk. The SECNAV opened the envelope and removed the letter, then read through the two paragraphs it contained. Nodding in satisfaction, he sat back.

"Admiral, let me be perfectly clear here. I am accepting your request for retirement not out of any respect for you. By your actions, you have brought disgrace upon yourself and forever tarnished a once brilliant career. My sole goal with this action is to end this as quickly as possible, while limiting the damage done to the JAG Corps and the Navy. Personally, I would prefer to see you charged, tried, convicted and sentenced to the maximum allowed. You are dismissed."

AJ stood and walked from the office, his once proud shoulders slumped. Regardless of what the SECNAV might hope for, the scuttlebutt would still get passed around. Too many people had little pieces of information that would be whispered around. And once his surprise retirement was announced, even more rumors would swirl. Maybe it would be good to get out of town for a while, visit his daughter in Italy. Definitely leave his cell phone behind.

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

1305 Eastern

A buzz had been flowing through the entire building for much of the morning. It had begun when Admiral Chegwidden hadn't arrived for staff call, leaving it to Mac to pass out the few new cases while also receiving updates on the current ones. Then had come the call from the SECNAV's office for an all-personnel briefing at 1300. So, now everyone was jammed into the bullpen, including the judiciary staff. It was incredibly crowed, with very little room to maneuver.

"Attention on deck," came the bellow for one of the Marine bailiffs who had spotted the heavy brass arriving. "SECNAV and CNO on deck."

Making as much room as they could, people got out of the way as SECNAV and the CNO walked to the area immediately in front of AJ's office door. They were followed by two other officers, a Marine Colonel and Commander Tracy Manetti. Knowing both that his statement would be short and shocking, SECNAV did not release the personnel from the attention position.

"I have an announcement to make. Effective at 1000 this morning, Admiral Chegwidden has retired. Acting on the recommendation of myself, the CNO and the CMC, the President has selected Colonel Cresswell to serve as the acting JAG until the Senate can hold hearings and confirm both his promotion to Major General and the appointment," SECNAV said, noting the stunned looks the crossed those faces visible.

"I'll need to see Colonel MacKenzie, Commander Rabb, Lieutenant Roberts and Commander Turner immediately following dismissal in the conference room," SECNAV added, nodding to Colonel Cresswell.

"Room, dismissed," he bellowed in a voice that would have done a Marine drill instructor proud.

As the room began to clear, the selected officers followed the SECNAV's group towards the conference room. Commander Manetti held the door open for the group before following them in. Once inside, the SECNAV sat at the head of the table. The CNO was on one side of him, while Colonel Cresswell took the other side. Harm and Bud sat next to each other on the same side as the CNO, while Mac and Sturgis were across from them. Manetti opened up the briefcase she had been carrying and handed a stack of folders to the Secretary.

"What is said in this room does not leave this room, understood?" SECNAV said, looking around the table.

"Understood, Sir," came the swift response from all present.

"During a recent investigation by the office of the Inspector General, something tangential to that investigation came to light. It is something that I believe needs to be addressed immediately, which is why we are all here."

SECNAV took a moment to open the first folder in the stack in front of him, then began reading from the papers in front of him.

"Commander Harmon Rabb Junior, assigned to JAG headquarters in 1995. Apart from a brief change of designator, you have remained here until 6 months ago when you resigned your commission. Over seven years. Colonel MacKenzie and Lieutenant Roberts, both assigned to JAG headquarters in 1996. With the exception of brief sea duty assignments, you've both been here over six years. That's twice as long as your normal tours here should have been," SECNAV said, closing the first folder. "It's time for you to move on and it's time for new people to get the experience that comes from working at headquarters."

Picking up three folders, each with a name written across the front, he handed one to each of the three officers he'd named before opening a fourth folder.

"I've worked with the CNO, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Bureau of Personnel for most of the morning. Inside each of your folders are a list of three potential new assignments, designed to give you more experience. Your decisions will be relayed to me through Commander Manetti and your new orders will be cut. At that time, other orders will be cut to re-staff JAG headquarters."

"Think your choices through, but let us know ASAP," CNO added.

"Commander Turner, with the departure of Colonel MacKenzie, you'll be the new Chief of Staff. You, Colonel MacKenzie and Colonel Cresswell will need to get together for the transition. Also, you and Colonel MacKenzie will need to clear out Admiral Chegwidden's office and arrange for his personal effects to be sent to his home," SECNAV said before standing. "I know you all have a lot to do and now, also a lot to think about, so we'll leave you."

Everyone had stood when the SECNAV rose and then watched as the man left the room followed by the CNO and Commander Manetti.

"Why don't we get together tomorrow morning and get started on the transition, say after staff call?" Colonel Cresswell asked.

"Aye, aye, Sir," both Mac and Sturgis said, recognizing an order even when posed as a question.

Colonel Cresswell looked around the room, acknowledging each officer before leaving.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," Sturgis said, with heavy irony lacing his voice.

"What the hell just happened?" Mac asked, before turning to face Harm as did Bud and Sturgis.

"This wouldn't possibly have anything to do with certain IG investigators asking questions about you and a certain retired Admiral, would it?"

"Based on the timing, I would assume so, but I don't know," Harm replied. "SECNAV was right about one thing, though. We've all been assigned here for far too long. Mac and I both need command or general staff experience if either of us is going to have a chance of getting promoted to 0-6 level or beyond. Simply staying here is actually leaving us behind other JAG officers serving as FJAs and SJAs, no matter how many cases we solve or how great our legal expertise."

"And maybe this is the fresh start that some of us need. You know, new people, new places," Mac put in, trying to make the best of a world turned upside down.

"Well, I've still got some work to do," Harm said, desperately wanting to check the contents of the folder, but also desperately wanting to avoid reading his potential fates. He was also conscious of a swirl of emotions flowing through him right now that all but precluded deep thought. So, he walked out of the conference room and into his office, closing the blinds and locking the door before settling in behind his desk. Picking up the phone, he quickly dialed a number.

"Lieutenant Commander Hawkes, Sir," Beth answered, although she had a very good idea who was calling her.

"Hello, beautiful," Harm said softly into the phone, wishing he could see her face.

"Harm! How are you?"

"That's what I was calling about. I really need you, darling."

Beth quickly thought through her schedule and what she absolutely needed to get done. She'd just finished her last class of the day and was now in her office. Tomorrow was Friday, so she had only office hours from 1400 to 1700. There were some quizzes to grade and a little laundry to do, but she could take the quizzes with her and the laundry could await the weekend. Looking at the clock, she did some quick math.

"I'll be at the house around 1600. Are you alright?"

"Physically, I'm fine. Just need some TLC after today," Harm told her. "And we need to talk about something important."

"You know, you're really starting to worry me, Harm."

"Beth, please. I promise we'll talk tonight. It's just a lot to talk about and I'd rather do it face to face than over the phone."

"All right, but you had better have a damned good story, Mister," Beth said before hanging up the phone.


	14. Chapter 14

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

1628 Eastern

Harm had decided to secure early, knowing that Beth would be at the house waiting for him. He also knew that they would have a lot to discuss, so he wanted as much time together as he could reasonably arrange. To that end, he'd called for pizzas before leaving and stopped to pick them up on his way home.

Opening the front door, he could hear two voices from somewhere in the house. So, as he carried his load of food and work into the kitchen, he called out.

"Mattie, Beth, I'm home. And I've got dinner."

Harm realized instantly that he'd said the magic word when Mattie came into the kitchen at an almost run and made straight for the food. Beth followed behind at a slower pace, a smile on her face as she saw Harm. Going up to him, she pulled him in for a gentle hug and kiss.

"I've missed you so much," she breathed as they separated.

"I've missed you too, darling," Harm replied before kissing her.

"Hey, you guys. Get a room, I'm trying to eat," came Mattie's indignant cry as she looked up from her plate of pizza.

Harm and Beth had a good laugh at the teenager, as they went to the table and sat next to each other. By unspoken agreement, the conversation at the table steered clear of Harm's call to Beth. Although, Beth had told Mattie before Harm arrived that there would be some kind of discussion that evening, the topic of which was unknown. So, they talked about how Mattie was adapting to the new school and the prospect of an early winter.

It was only after dinner was done and the trio had moved into the family room that the conversation turned serious. Harm had brought his briefcase with him and after settling down on the sofa with Beth, he opened it and removed the folder. Beth saw this and knew something big was happening, while Mattie just sat in her chair and watched.

"So, Harm," Beth began, "is this the damned good story I demanded earlier?"

"Yes, it is," Harm replied, looking at both her and Mattie. "Some major events took place today, which potentially have an impact on all of us. My guardianship of Mattie and my relationship with you, Beth. And for us to have a future together means we act together, decide things together. That's partly the reason I needed you here tonight, Beth."

"And what's the other part, Harm?"

"The other part is also tied to that future. See, now that I have you in my life, I never want to let you go. Elizabeth Hawkes, you've been my friend, my shipmate. Now, I'd like to ask you to be my life mate. Will you marry me?"

Beth was stunned silent. She'd long known her feeling for Harm, but never in her wildest dreams had she hoped for this. Not so soon after they'd finally admitted their feelings to each other. She'd expected a long period of dating before they got to here, not a single mere handful of dates over less than a month.

"Beth?" Harm called, growing concerned that he'd rushed things, especially as tears began to form in her eyes. "Beth?"

Beth still couldn't make herself form the words, though her brain was screaming them in her head. So, she decided to pursue an alternate form of communication. Wrapping her arms around Harm's neck, she pulled him in for a passionate, possessive kiss. It was only when they'd broken apart that she was finally able to verbalize her feelings.

"Oh, God, yes. Yes, yes, yes!"

Seeing Mattie almost beside herself with joy, the newly engaged couple opened their arms for the teen. Both Harm and Beth reflected on how right this felt, how much like family. Still, Beth knew that there was much more to discuss.

"Well, that was certainly wonderful, but I think we got a little off track," she said with a grin, teasing Harm.

"Yes, I guess we did. Some beautiful lady distracted me."

"If you're no longer distracted, maybe you can get on with the story?"

Harm could sense that he'd be pushing things if he didn't get back to the topic. So, he proceeded to explain everything that had happened that morning and afternoon. He concluded with the folder that was currently sitting in his lap, still waiting to be opened.

"Well, no wonder you wanted to tell me in person," Beth said, still wrapping her head around all the details. "It's definitely a lot to think about. Question number one, I guess, is whether you even want to stay in the Navy now that Admiral Chegwidden is gone."

"A lot would depend on the contents of this folder, Beth," Harm replied. "Because anything that takes me away from you and Mattie would be unacceptable."

"Then I would think the time has come to open that folder and see what your options are."

Harm took a deep breath, then with one hand holding on to Beth's, he opened the folder and found a single sheet of paper. Reading once through quickly, he went back to the top and reread the list slowly while his mind absorbed the details.

"For Commander Harmon Rabb Junior. Option A, assume the post of FJA for United States Naval Forces, Europe. Duty station is London, England. Promotion to Captain. Option B, assume the post of SJA for Naval Air Systems Command. Duty station is Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland. Option C, assume the post of Assistant SJA to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Duty station, Washington, D.C."

Looking up, he saw Beth had finished reading as well and had been waiting on him. So, he closed the folder and set it aside.

"It's funny, really," Beth said with a smile that promised a joke was to come. "The absolute best offer happens to also be the absolute worst offer."

Harm simply couldn't stop himself, he just had to laugh because his thoughts had been very similar. The posting to London was a wonderful opportunity, in and of itself. Add in the promotion to Captain and it was an offer impossible to refuse, except that it was almost 3700 miles and 5 time zones removed from Mattie and Beth. And that made it an offer impossible to accept.

"What about the assignment at Pax River?" Harm asked.

"Not exactly ideal, Harm. It's an hour and a half from Washington, so you'd be spending more than three hours a day in the car. Do you really want that commute every day?"

"No. And that time is under ideal conditions, assuming no traffic jams or such. If my years around here had taught me anything, it's to expect to spend fifty percent longer driving than the trip is projected to take."

"Then, that leaves the Assistant SJA position," Beth said, her tone of voice making her opinion of that position clear.

"I doubt I'd last 6 month inside the puzzle palace, most likely stuck doing nothing but paperwork," Harm said. "I'd be bored to death."

"And I know you're not a fan of paperwork, which would probably also mean you'd be frustrated, too. A bored, frustrated Harmon Rabb is also a surly fellow and I have no intention of dealing with that in a fiancé or husband."

"So, are we agreed that none of these positions are something I should accept?" Harm asked.

"Yes," is all Beth said in reply before they both turned to the silent third party.

"Don't look at me, I don't have an opinion. Besides, I thought you were happy out of the Navy. Now, it just looks like you're trying to find an excuse to stay in," Mattie said, leaving Harm thunderstruck. Beth, on the other hand, carefully hid a silent smile.

"Mattie, in almost any other circumstance, I'd take the position in London in a heartbeat."

"Why? I mean, wouldn't it be an office job with lots of paperwork? What would make that any better than the job here?"

"The opportunity to teach, Mattie. See, that position in London would put me in charge of an office full of young officers and enlisted personnel. I'd be supervising them, yes, and there'd be a lot of paperwork. But I'd also be responsible for overseeing their professional development, making them better lawyers and officers," Harm said.

"Is that why you really didn't want to run Grace Aviation, the paperwork?" Mattie asked.

"Partly," Harm admitted. "If doing paperwork means I can get to fly or helps me in court, I'll do it. But to successfully run a business, there's a lot of paperwork. Payroll, ordering supplies, sending bills and scheduling work. It's a full time job, as you're well aware, and I'm not sure I'm the person to do it."

Beth smiled, impressed that Harm would admit something like.

Mattie was impressed too. This was part of the reason she was coming to love Harm, the fact that he never treated her like a little kid. Almost from the start, he'd treated her as an equal. Like when they'd been talking about her mom and his dad and if you ever got over the loss. He'd just told her the truth, saying he thought she could handle it. Just like now, he hadn't asked her to leave the room so he and Beth could discuss his future. He'd let her stay and listen and when she hadn't said anything while he and Beth were talking, he'd asked her for her opinion.

"Well, I've got homework to do," Mattie announced as she got up to leave the room.

"Need any help?" Harm asked.

"No, I shouldn't, but I'll ask if I do."

Harm and Beth watched the teen leave the room before turning to each other.

"So, do you want to watch some television?" Harm asked Beth.

"No."

"Did you bring some work you need to do?"

"No."

"What would you like to do?" Harm asked, seeing the smile crossing her lips.

"Well, I seem to remember someone saying they needed some TLC," Beth said before bringing her head forward to capture his mouth in a gentle kiss, followed by several more.

"When do you need to leave?" Harm asked when they finally broke apart.

"Not until morning," Beth replied, her smile matched by Harm's.

Standing from the couch, Harm extended his hand to Beth. Helping her up, they walked hand-in-hand up the stairs and on into the master bedroom. It was the sound of the closing bedroom door that drew Mattie from her room. Upon seeing the closed door, she smiled before turning back to her own room.

Roberts' Residence – Alexandria, Virginia

2047 Eastern

Bud and Harriet had enjoyed a relaxing evening at home, or as relaxing as any night with two small boys could ever be. Dinner had been meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, followed by a Disney movie before putting the boys to bed. It was only after the boys were asleep that Bud brought out the folder, electing to sit at the kitchen table while reading through its contents.

"For Lieutenant Bud J. Roberts, Jr. Option A, assignment as Judge Advocate to LSO Pacific, duty station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Option B, assignment as Judge Advocate to DSO West, Naval Station San Diego, California. Option C, assignment as instructor, Leadership, Ethics and Law Department, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. If either option A or B is selected, spousal co-location with regards to Lieutenant Harriet Sims will be as follows. For Option A, assignment to IG office, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii. For Option B, assignment as assistant PAO, United States Naval Special Warfare Command, San Diego, California. If option C is selected, Lieutenant Sims may elect to remain at JAG Headquarters or seek reassignment through BUPERS within Naval District, Washington D.C."

Bud stared at the list in stunned disbelief. Even after the morning's events, he was still unprepared for seeing it in black and white. Whatever decision he made would mark the end of an era, since there was almost no likelihood of his being stationed anywhere near either Commander Rabb or Colonel MacKenzie. Yet, maybe this was a good thing, a chance to build a career outside the shadow of those two senior attorneys.

It was only when Harriet took the folder from in front of him that Bud finally realized that she'd been calling him for almost a minute.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I guess I got a little lost in thought," Bud said, looking at his wife and managing a smile.

However, Harriet didn't respond as she was now the one stunned. Bud had told her about the meeting with SECNAV, but there hadn't been time until now for either of them to read the folder's contents. Given their reactions, that was probably a good thing considering that there had still been work to do. Now, while at home and off duty, was the time that they could just sit and allow their minds to race with the possibilities.

"Could you be happy teaching, Bud?" Harriet asked, quietly giving voice to her choice of his options. Annapolis might be an hour from home, but it would allow them to stay where they were. Also, it would keep the kids rooted and if Bud didn't get promoted soon, he'd be confronted with up or out. If he was forced to leave the Navy, being in Washington would be better than San Diego or Hawaii.

"Yes, I definitely think I would like that," Bud told her.

"Then, if that's decided, then why don't you close that folder and we'll see if we can't find something else you might like," Harriet said, a sexy smile crossing her face as she got up from the table and left the kitchen. Bud hurriedly closed the folder and stopping only the make sure the doors were locked, followed.

Sarah MacKenzie's Apartment – Georgetown

2216 Eastern

Mac sat in her living room, her folder and telephone resting on the coffee table in front of her couch. The anger she was feeling was split between the two objects, as she reflected on where her life was currently. She hadn't spoken to Webb in over a week now and with each passing day, she'd become more worried and angry. Yet, the connection that had enabled her to find Harm the night he'd gone down was failing her in regards to Clay. This only increased her level of worry and anger.

She had tried calling his cellphone but it only went to voice mail. She'd called his office and tried getting information out of his assistant, who had hidden behind a wall of 'need to know'. Well, damn it, she did need to know. As a last resort, she'd called Clay's mother, which had been a disaster and had left her even angrier, not just with Clay but also his mother. That condescending attitude and tone of Mrs. Webb's, treating her like a child or an idiot. As if Sarah didn't know that Clay had a dangerous job. She'd known that even before Paraguay, before he'd been tortured while protecting her.

Now, added to everything else she was dealing with, there was that folder and its list of options. She'd quickly glanced at it while still in the office, but had just as quickly closed it once she'd finished. No, that had definitely not been the time or place to really consider this. Instead, she'd worked through to her normal leaving time, before stopping at Beltway Burgers for her dinner.

It was only after eating and then taking a long, hot bath that she had returned to the living room, now dressed in pajamas and robe, and settled in on the couch. Finally realizing she couldn't keep putting it off, she picked up the folder and opened it again.

"For Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie. Option A, assume the post of Deputy SJA, United States Marine Corps Forces Pacific, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. Option B, assume the post of SJA, United States Marine Corps Forces Central Command (Forward), Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Bahrain. Option C, assume command of 4th Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina."

Mac closed the folder once again, before leaning back on the couch and closing her eyes. Any of the three would be wonderful assignments and a successful tour in any of them would go a long way to getting her promoted. But any of those assignments would also likely end her relationship with Clay and that was the hell of it. It was also another reason why she desperately needed to talk with him.

She could, she well knew, make this choice on her own. Simply pick an option, submit her request and be done with it. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Pulling her robe tighter around her, Mac got up from the couch and walked over to the door. A look through the peep hole led to an instant opening of the door, revealing both Director Kershaw and Clay's mother.

"Colonel MacKenzie, may we come in?" Director Kershaw asked.

"Of course," Mac said as she stepped aside to admit the pair, along with a security officer. Only when the door was closed did anyone speak.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news," Kershaw began, catching the look on Mac's face. "Two weeks ago, we managed to make a connection to Sadik Fahd. Special Agent Webb and a team from our SOG unit went operational to capture him. We're still not sure what exactly happened, but it was a disaster. Four men were killed, including Agent Webb, and the rest were wounded. An Army Special Forces detachment was sent in to rescue them and complete the mission. When they arrived on site, they recovered our team and also found Fahd, who'd been killed in the firefight."

Mac was standing on willpower alone by this point. She'd suspected what this visit was about the instant she'd opened the door, yet the feelings inside her were more than she'd expected. She wanted to cry, to scream, to laugh and just to curl up in a ball. For a moment, she wondered if this was another faked death, like when Palmer was after him. She looked over at Mrs. Webb and knew that the look in the older woman's eyes couldn't be faked. Mrs. Webb was hiding it well, behind that upper-class mask and stiff upper lip, but the pain was still visible. So Mac walked over to her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Webb," Mac said, knowing how meaningless the words sounded, yet how true they were. She was sorry for the older woman, who was now all alone.

"Thank you, Sarah. I know what a loss this is for you as well," Mrs. Webb replied.

The two women stood like that for a brief few moments before stepping apart.

"When his body is due to be returned, I'll call and let you know. I'm certain you'll want to be there when that happens," Mrs. Webb said. "And of course the funeral."

"Thank you, Mrs. Webb. And thank you both for coming to tell me," Mac said as she opened the door for them and watched them leave. Only then did she drop to her knees and begin to cry.


	15. Chapter 15

December 5, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

1002 Eastern

Staff call that morning had been an interesting adventure, between Colonel Cresswell trying to get up to speed on the various cases while also trying to learn about the current staff and Mac's announcement after the Colonel had left the room that Clayton Webb was dead. When Harm had tried to ask questions, she'd brushed past and headed for her office. Sturgis had stopped him from following with a gentle hand and a brief shake of his head. Sturgis knew deep in his gut that Harm was not the person she needed to see right now.

With all that, it was only when he reached his office that Harm realized he hadn't told a single person about his engagement to Beth. Now, he knew he couldn't, not with the news about Webb. It would be too much like pouring salt in Mac's wounds. Besides, he and Beth hadn't even set a date yet, so he had time. Plus, he wanted to tell his mom first and Beth needed to tell her family. So, yes, an announcement could definitely wait.

Settled behind his desk, Harm picked up the first folder from the stack and began to work. Two hours and six files later, Harm began to consider lunch. However, before he could get up, the telephone rang.

"Commander Rabb, Sir."

"Hello, Harm," came Mr. Peabody's voice. "How are you and Mattie doing?"

"We're doing great. Mattie seems to like the school she's at," Harm told the older man.

"That's good. Now, since I'm handling the court hearing for your guardianship petition, I've got some news for you. First, you're scheduled for a home visit by the guardian ad litem, Ms. LeMoyne. That will be on Monday the Eighth at 6:30 PM. There's also a home inspection scheduled by a Mr. Watley for the same day, this one at 7:30. So, you'll need to make sure you're ready for them."

"I understand. I think the house will be fine and I'll make certain I'm home in plenty of time."

"Great, because that brings us to my second piece of news. Mattie's father was picked up last night, trying to take the Grace Aviation pickup. He was drunk and disorderly at the time, so the Sheriff had him held overnight," Mr. Peabody said.

"All right, that means he can be served with notice of the guardianship hearing," Harm said.

"It means a lot more than that, actually. I'd like to talk to you and Mattie tonight, if that's possible."

"Certainly," Harm said, wondering what was going on. Clearly, there was something, but Harm couldn't think of what it might be.

"I'll be at your house at 6 PM, if that will work for you."

"That sounds good. I'll make dinner and then we can talk for a while."

"Well, I'll see you and Mattie then," was all Mr. Peabody said before hanging up the phone, leaving Harm to wonder what to make of the call.

However, before Harm's thoughts could go much further down that path, the telephone rang again.

"Commander Rabb, Sir."

"Good morning, Harm," came Admiral Boone's voice, drawing a smile from Harm.

"Good morning, Sir," was Harm's reply.

"Are you still looking for someone to manage that broken down crop dusting business?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I've found someone. I'm just waiting for him to stop being an irritable old man and come to work."

"Damn it, Harm, if you weren't Hammer's son…." Tom Boone sputtered.

"But I am Hammer's son, Sir. At least that's what my mother tells me, although there were a couple of occasions where she claimed to have found me on the doorstep," Harm replied with a laugh.

"Trust me, there is no doubt you're his son. Now, about that business, I did some checking after we talked. Drove out to Blacksburg and looked around, liked what I saw. Talked to some people at the airport, who said the business was struggling to pay its bills, but they put most of that down to the owner dying and her husband vanishing. Work would be done, but customers would be late paying and there was nobody around to demand prompt payments. Next, I called some friends who are with the FAA, had them pull some files. Good news there, all the paperwork is current, so are the inspections and licenses. Bad news is, they are aware that your ward was running the business, so letters will be sent this week demanding an adult with a PPL as manager or owner of the business with 30 days."

"Yeah, I knew most of that already. I'm actually surprised the letters haven't arrived yet."

"So, with all of that, give me one good reason why I'd leave a job where I'm making good money to take on this mess. Not to mention, I'm not certain how you're planning on paying me," Boone said.

"Because I'm asking for your help, Sir. As for the pay, I know we can't match what you're currently making. I think the business is in good shape financially and I have some thoughts on building on what is already there, but I can't proceed with that until the hearing about my guardianship. Even worse, if Mattie's dad does get custody, you'd almost certainly be let go immediately after that," Harm replied, not sugar coating anything. His only hope was complete honesty.

"When would you need me there?"

"The latest would be first week of March, to get everything ready for spring. We could just close the place down for the winter, there's only a couple of people who hanger their planes there and none who fly during the winter."

"And that would be after the hearing, right?" Boone asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Then, assuming you win the hearing, I'll take over as manager. Pay me a base pay and a percentage of the profits. That way, I have an incentive to make the business as profitable as I can."

"That sounds good to me. I'll have to run it by Mattie, but I don't see a problem there. Once the hearing is over, we'll all sit down and talk things out," Harm told him.

"Fine. Call me when that's done. And Harm, good luck," was all Boone said before hanging up.

Once again, Harm hung up the telephone. He glared at the object for a moment, almost daring it to ring again, before glancing at his watch. The lunch hour was now long past and he was nearer to the end of the day than was suitable for eating, except for an early dinner. So, instead of the cafeteria, Harm left his office and headed for the break room. There, he picked up a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin to take back to his office, where still more files awaited his attention.

Sycamore Street – Falls, Church, Virginia

1752 Eastern

Harm had managed to arrive home in time to take a quick shower and change out of his uniform into jeans and a sweater before starting in on cooking. He had salmon steaks on the grill top, along with wild rice and green beans in pots of the stove. A knock at the door brought both his and Mattie's heads up. Seeing that he was busy, the teen got up from the table to answer it, returning a moment later bringing Mr. Peabody long with her. The older man was carrying a very stuffed briefcase along with him.

"I would definitely say something smells wonderful, Harm," he said as he approached. Seeing the contents of the various pots, he nodded his approval.

"Everything is almost ready, so why don't you let Mattie take your coat and sit down at the table, Sir," Harm said. "And Mattie, it's time for the kitchen table to become a table again instead of your homework desk."

"Aye, aye, Sir," Mattie said, snapping off a mocking salute, drawing a laugh from both men.

"Very nice, Mattie, but if you're going to be Navy, you need to learn that we don't salute indoors."

Mattie just grinned back at him as she removed her books, then returned to take Mr. Peabody's coat followed by setting the table with silverware and glasses. Harm had the plates next to him, so that he could transfer the salmon from the grill directly to them rather than messing about with a serving platter. Bringing the plates over, he placed one at each setting before returning to the stove and collecting the pots. Drink choices were soft drinks, iced tea or bottled water, with Mattie taking a Coke while Harm and Mr. Peabody both chose the iced tea.

The conversation at the table centered on bringing Mr. Peabody up to date with the changes in Harm and Mattie's lives since they had last seen each other. The old man nodded his approval that Mattie was back in school, knowing this would be good for the teen. He also approved of Harm potentially finding someone to manage Grace Aviation for Mattie. But the best news, as far as Mr. Peabody was concerned, was that Harm was engaged. He was both happy for Harm on a personal level, but also believed that this would help in court if his plan fell through. So, he offered Harm a warm congratulations, adding that he looked forward to meeting his fiancée.

When dinner was through, Mattie cleared the table while Harm and Mr. Peabody went into the living room. Harm sat down on the couch, while Mr. Peabody elected to take one of the chairs. A couple of minutes later, Mattie came in to join them, sitting on the couch next to Harm. Mr. Peabody put the briefcase on his lap and opened it, before removing several large folders.

"Mattie dear, I'm going to apologize in advance," Mr. Peabody said as he opened the first folder.

"Why, Mr. Peabody?"

"Because some of the things we are going to have to discuss tonight are likely to hurt you. I'm not bringing them up for that purpose, but rather because we need to deal with them."

"I understand, I think," Mattie said, while Harm laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave a little squeeze to let her know he was there. Mr. Peabody caught the interaction and smiled slightly.

"I guess the first place to begin is with your guardianship, Mattie. Now, I have here all the paperwork that we've filed for the permanent guardianship, as well as the petition filed this morning by your father for your return to his custody. In addition, Judge Morten has agreed to an expedited hearing for the Tenth at 9 AM down in Blacksburg with all parties present in response to your father's petition. That way, she'll have the initial reports from the guardian ad litem and the home inspection," Mr. Peabody said.

"But I don't want anything to do with that man. He killed my mother, he ruined Grace Aviation. If it hadn't been for Harm, I would have lost the business and my home."

Mr. Peabody just quietly closed the first folder and set it aside, then found the next folder he was looking for and opened that one.

"Mattie, that unfortunately brings us to some things that might be hard to hear. I talked to the Sheriff and got a copy of the report from your mother's accident. Your mother was the driver at the time of the accident, not your father," Mr. Peabody said, before stopping at the look on Mattie's face. The young girl had gone green before rushing from the room. A few seconds later came the sound of retching from the downstairs bath.

"I'm sorry for causing her that pain."

"No, she needed to know the truth. For her own sake, if for nothing else. Maybe, in time, she can come to forgive him and move on," Harm said

The two men sat silent for a few moments before Mattie returned, her eyes red and her face drawn. Once she'd sat down, Harm gently hugged her, mindful of her reaction the first time he'd tried to comfort her. She'd jerked away from him as if he'd jabbed her with a cattle prod. This time, she melted into his embrace.

"Mattie dear, I'm so very sorry for hurting you," Mr. Peabody told her, looking into her eyes.

Mattie nodded her head, accepting the heartfelt words with a wan smile.

"There's more, though. Because he wasn't the driver, the deputies couldn't do either a field sobriety test or blood alcohol test. However, the report indicated the strong smell of alcohol on your father's breath and slurred speech. Your mother's blood was checked and she was sober at the time of the accident. Based on the evidence, the Sheriff and I both believe that something distracted your mother and led to the accident. Your father refused to talk to the Sheriff, both at the time of the accident and subsequently."

"They were probably arguing," Mattie said, looking up. "If dad had been drinking enough for mom to insist on driving, that probably would have set him off."

The two men just shared a look, wondering how often this sort of behavior must have been going on for Mattie to have instantly come to that conclusion. Still, there was much more to cover, so Mr. Peabody turned to the next folder in his lap and opened it. Now was the time to lay out his plan, so he took a deep breath to steel himself.

"Mattie, I have a couple of questions for you, my dear?"

"Anything, Mr. Peabody," Mattie answered.

"If you could, would you want to live here permanently?"

"Of course."

"Why?" Mr. Peabody asked, both he and Harm knowing that the judge would ask just that question at the hearing.

"Because I know that Harm loves me, he respects me and I love him too. Yes, sometimes I can be a little difficult and sometimes he wants me to do things I don't want to do, but he never raises his voice to me. It's always a discussion and he explains why he wants me to do something, why it's in my best interests."

"Why is that, Harm?"

"Primarily, because Mattie's been independent for so long. She's more mature in some respects than her age. So, me just saying 'Do it, because I told you to' isn't going to work. Also, if there's something she's completely opposed to, I'll listen to her and make changes. Oh, not on the important things, like school, homework and going out with friends. The little things, like what she eats and her clothes."

"Now, for the million dollar question. If it could be arranged, Mattie, would you want to be adopted by Harm?" Mr. Peabody asked.

"Damned straight," Mattie shouted.

"Would you want to adopt a teenager, Harm?"

"Just any teenager, Mr. Peabody? Or did you have a specific one in mind," Harm teased before gasping as Mattie dug her fingers into his arm. "Yes, I would love to adopt Mattie, if I could."

"Well, it just so happens that I have a plan in mind to get just that," Mr. Peabody told them, a grin crossing his face that could only be described as pure evil, matching the hard cast of his eyes. Gone was the genteel southern gentleman and in his place was a human shark, one that smelled blood in the water. Now, he closed the folder and put them away, save for the very last one. This he opened.

"Mattie, it's time to bring you in on something I have mentioned to Harm in the past, the loans your father took out against the company. I've looked over the bank records for Grace Aviation and can see the money being deposited, then it is transferred to a separate account. No new assets are listed for Grace Aviation, the last major purchase being the hanger and that was while your mother was still alive. No bills appear to have been paid by that money, either. Where it went from that second account, I don't know. The only thing I do know is that it was your father's personal account," Mr. Peabody told them.

"The problem is, by doing this your father has committed several crimes. By using Grace Aviation and your mother's home to secure the loan, he committed loan fraud because the properties in question belonged to the trust, rather than to him. I've spoken to a Vice President at Third National, Mr. Wallace, about the loan and he told me that your father never listed the business as being in a trust, but rather relied on the original articles of incorporation that listed your mother as owner and him as business agent. Had they known about the trust, the loan would have been refused. That deception is what makes it fraud. If the charge is prosecuted in federal court, he could face up to 30 years in prison. In addition to that, your father could also be charged with theft for stealing the company's money. That charge is tricky, because he was the trustee for your trust and also managed Grace Aviation for you, under the terms of the trust. He could possibly argue that money was intended to care for you, but any judge would be hard pressed to believe that story after he abandoned you and the company, knowing that by doing so the loans would default and you stood to lose the business and house."

"Would we really have to go after my father?" Mattie asked, looking a little uncertain. Even given the massive hatred she felt towards her father, this was still a huge step for her. It would be potentially consigning her father to prison until a point where she might have a husband and family. She trusted the two men not to act against her wishes, though.

"That would be a last resort, my dear," Mr. Peabody told her, catching the mood and gentling his voice. "I believe that we might be able to get what we want without having to do that, simply by pointing out the options to your father and making him realize that he's going to lose you. The only question is whether he wants to add a loss of his freedom for the next few decades on top of that. He's a reasonably intelligent man, when he's sober, as he will be when I see him at the jail tomorrow with his attorney. I'll have the paperwork all drawn up for an uncontested waiver of parental rights, ready for him to sign, and a notary along with me. Then, on the Tenth, we present that along with a petition for adoption to the judge and hopefully you'll be father and daughter that day."

"Mr. Peabody, Sir, I bow before an exceptional lawyer," Harm said with a smile.

"Do you really think that will work, Harm?" Mattie asked anxiously.

"I truly think it will. I don't know your father, but I'd be willing to bet that he'll take the deal. As Mr. Peabody said, he's going to lose. It's just a question of how much he's willing to lose. If we have to go to court, picture what the judge will see when she looks at me. I've got the financial ability to care for you, I've made certain you're in a good, safe home, and I've gotten you back into school where you belong. Now picture your father, who is an alcoholic, isn't working and would only have a place to stay because someone else paid off the loans he'd taken. He abandoned you, didn't care that it forced you to leave school in an attempt to rescue the business he was supposed to be managing. So, she'd probably still award me guardianship over you if your father contested things. With him giving up his parental rights and me asking to adopt you, I believe at the absolute worst we'll come away with permanent guardianship," Harm told her.

"So, you're stuck with me, then?"

"Mattie, I'm not stuck with you. I'm blessed with you," was all Harm said as he hugged her to him, silently praying he was right and this would work.

Mr. Peabody stood smiling as he watched the pair, thinking that Mattie's mother and grandmother would have approved of what he was doing.


	16. Chapter 16

December 6, 2003

County Jail – Montgomery County, Virginia

1304 Eastern

Mr. Peabody sat waiting in the meeting room along with Tom Johnson's attorney, Mr. Stone. The two men exchanged small talk as they waited, being acquainted with one another through their years as lawyers in a relatively small town. Their specialties meant that they'd rarely faced each other in the courtroom, with Mr. Stone being predominantly a criminal attorney while Mr. Peabody had been more involved with family and property law.

When the door opened and the deputy escorted Tom Johnson into the room, Mr. Peabody cast a long, harsh look at the man. His utter contempt for the man wasn't shown on his face, concealed behind a mask perfected by years of experience. Besides, he was here with a goal in mind and wasn't about to let his personal feelings distract him from that. So, he waited until Tom Johnson had taken a seat next to his lawyer, opening the folder that sat before him.

"Mr. Peabody, you requested this meeting with myself and my client, so please begin, Sir," Mr. Stone said.

"Thank you, Sir. Yes, I needed to speak with your client on behalf of my clients, Commander Harmon Rabb Jr and Matilda Grace Johnson. As you both have been informed, following the discovery of your client's abandonment of his daughter, Commander Rabb petitioned for emergency guardianship of Matilda," Mr. Peabody said, only to be interrupted by Tom.

"Damn man, trying to steal my daughter. And the business too, from what I've been told," Tom said. "That's my daughter and he can't have her."

Mr. Peabody just coldly stared at Tom for a long moment before speaking again. "Mr. Johnson, I understand a certain level of frustration with the current situation, but I would kindly ask that you allow me to speak without interruption. When I am finished, you and your attorney are more than welcome to ask any questions you may wish or make any statement."

Mr. Stone laid a hand on Tom Johnson's arm as it looked like he was going to go off again. After a brief pause, he indicated that Mr. Peabody could begin again.

"Commander Rabb made that petition rather than see Matilda taken by Children's Services and placed into the system. In the relatively short time that they have known each other, both Commander Rabb and Matilda have come to love one another. The emergency guardianship was granted and a further hearing was scheduled for permanent guardianship, giving the courts time to find you. Now that they have and you have petitioned for Matilda's return to your custody, that hearing will happen on Wednesday. And at that hearing, you will lose. The only question is how badly."

"I find that difficult to believe, Mr. Peabody," Mr. Stone said. "Yes, my client does have problems and we will freely admit them, but he is still the biological father and that does carry some weight with the courts."

"Indeed it does, Sir," Mr. Peabody intoned, as he removed the first set of papers from his folder. "The problem for your client is that single point is your only point. He has no means to support his daughter at this time, nor a place in which they can live. Commander Rabb has the means to support Matilda, he has a good home in which she may live and a willingness to help her achieve any goal she might set for herself."

"So what, I've done that for her too," Mr. Johnson claimed, earning another look.

"But that is somewhat beside the point, Mr. Stone, in light of other problems facing you client," Mr. Peabody went on, ignoring Tom's outburst. He took a second set of papers from his folder and slid them across the table to the other attorney, before sitting back and waiting for a few moments while the contents were read.

"I take it that there is evidence to support these claims," Mr. Stone said, watching Mr. Peabody lift another set of papers from the folder to give him.

"Yes, there are. So, you see, your client has no chance of winning custody. The only thing that might be attained at the guardianship hearing would be to deny Commander Rabb from being appointed Matilda's permanent guardian. Another option would be for your client to allow Commander Rabb to adopt Matilda," Mr. Peabody said, at which point Tom jumped up from the table.

"Give up my daughter? Are you out of your mind, old man? She's my daughter and nobody is going to take her away from me," Tom screamed.

"Yes, they are. Because I promise you, Sir, if your signature isn't on the adoption papers before I leave today, my first stop Monday morning will be to see the deputy United States Attorney. I will turn over the evidence of your fraud, meaning you won't be at the hearing on Wednesday because you'll be in a federal lockup, held as a flight risk, pending indictment on those charges. You can ask Mr. Stone for confirmation, if you wish, but the maximum penalty for loan fraud is 30 years."

"That's blackmail!"

"No, Mr. Johnson, it's simply quid pro quo. Meaning you have something my client wants and we have something we think you want. A fair exchange, you get out of Matilda's life and we forget all about how you almost took her inheritance from her. I'll step outside so you might have some time to talk with your attorney."

Mr. Peabody got up from the table and walked to the door. Knocking, the deputy opened it and allowed him to step outside. At moments like this, he wished for a smoke. Instead, he walked over to the little break room and snuck a cup of coffee, nodding at the notary who was waiting to witness the signatures if necessary. It was ten minutes before a deputy came to find him, saying that he was wanted. Nodding, he motioned for the notary to follow him but had him wait outside the room.

"My client will agree to your terms," Mr. Stone said when Mr. Peabody came back into the room. For his part, Tom Johnson simply sat quietly, the sullen expression on his face being almost laughable.

With that statement, the notary was brought into the room and the papers were quickly signed by both Mr. Stone and Mr. Johnson. Before leaving Falls Church that morning, Mr. Peabody had taken Harm to find a notary and had his part of the papers done. Come Monday morning, the paperwork would be submitted to the court and, on Wednesday, Mattie would have a new father.

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

1642 Eastern

Harm hung up the phone with a smile, before looking at the two women sitting at the kitchen table. Beth had driven down from Annapolis to spend the weekend with them and her first suggestion when she'd arrived at just before noon had been to take Mattie shopping. The look on Harm's face had been well worth it, in Beth's mind, especially when she'd held out her hand to request Harm's credit card.

However, there had been a method to Beth's madness. Namely, she was positive that Mattie didn't have anything entirely appropriate to wear for the guardianship hearing. Oh, she knew the teen had a couple of dress from Thanksgiving and they were very nice, but it had been obvious that Mattie hadn't really wanted to wear either of them. And Mattie being upset about her outfit at the hearing wouldn't convey the image Harm was hoping for. So, they would go and find something that was nice, but also that suited Mattie's style.

After two hours of walking through the mall, they'd visited three different stores and ended up getting several outfits. Knowing that Mattie was most comfortable in jeans, Beth decided to skip the dresses and look for pant suits and slacks for the teen, along with blouses and capris. Even Harm had heartily approved of the selections, although he did playfully grimace at the cost of them. What mattered most, however, was that Mattie also liked them and that fact made them worth their weight in gold.

The final stop was one where Harm stubbornly refused to follow. So, while the two women went into Victoria's Secret, Harm trudged to a nearby bench and settled in. Beth helped Mattie pick a pair of bras, along with some panties, two pajama sets and a robe. Beth found herself enjoying shopping with the teen and blushed slightly when one of the salesladies commented on how nice her daughter was. Thankfully, Mattie didn't hear the comment. Beth wasn't sure what her reaction would have been and how it might have reopened recent wounds.

With the shopping concluded, the trio headed for home so that Harm could start working on dinner. He was planning on a vegetable stir fry with rice, making for lots of prep work slicing the various vegetables to be included. Beth and Mattie had elected to sit at the table and watch after they had put the new clothes away. That was when the telephone had rung. Since Mattie was closest to the receiver, she was the one who'd answered before handing it over to Harm.

The women could only hear Harm's side of the conversation, but the growing smile on his face told them as much as the words did. That and the fact that it was Mr. Peabody perked Mattie's interest up, which also added to Beth's. A few moments later, he hung up the telephone and turned.

"Well?" both Beth and Mattie demanded.

"Mr. Johnson signed the papers," was all Harm managed to say before Mattie erupted from her seat and launched herself at Harm.

"Then, we've won," she said, silently thankful that she wouldn't be responsible for her father's going to prison.

"Well, this round we have. Mattie, remember, we still have to go through the meeting with the guardian ad litem as well as the home inspection. Then, there's the hearing on Wednesday with Judge Morten and she has to approve the petition for adoption."

"That time is the hearing on Wednesday?" Beth asked.

"0900."

"What time do we need to leave to be there?"

"Actually, Mattie and I are leaving Tuesday evening and spending the night down there," Harm told Beth.

"Well, make sure there's room for the three of us wherever you're planning to stay," Beth said.

"Beth…."

"Don't even think of saying no, Harmon Rabb. How could you even think I wouldn't be there for this? That I wouldn't want to be there for Mattie on such an important day. Beside, someone needs to make sure you're on time, Pappy," Beth told him, using a teasing tone at the end to lighten the tone, knowing that her message had been heard, loud and clear.

"If I'm Pappy, I guess that makes you Mommy," Harm shot back before catching the look of horror that crossed Beth's face as her eyes shot towards Mattie. Then he realized the implications of his words and turned towards the teen, only to see her back as she raced from the kitchen and then up the stairs. Harm began to follow her before Beth laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, drawing him to a stop.

"I'll go talk with her, while you get dinner finished," Beth said before slowly following the teen.

She wasn't surprised to find the door locked when she got to Mattie's bedroom. So, she stopped to listen for a moment before gently knocking. At first there was no response, so she knocked a little harder.

"Go away," Mattie shouted through the closed door, her voice leaving Beth in no doubt that the teenager had been crying.

"Mattie, please let me in," Beth said. "I really need to talk to you."

Beth waited, straining to hear any sound. After what felt like an eternity, finally the door was unlocked. Beth stepped into the room and closed the door after her, relocking it. Mattie was now sitting on the edge of the bed, not looking up as she examined her shoes with interest.

"Mattie, sweetheart, look at me," Beth said softly. When Mattie did look up, her eyes were red and damp with unshed tears. Beth felt an aching desire to hug the young lady and never let go, but knew that this wasn't the right moment. First, she need to talk to her, after that would be the time.

"Mattie, Harm and I were just teasing each other and I know he didn't realize that his calling me Mommy would hurt you so much, because I know he would never intentionally hurt you. And I know, deep down inside, that you know that too. Just like I know that I could never replace your mother and the love you have for her and I'm not trying to."

"I know, it just hurts so much some times, how much I'm missing her," Mattie said, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks. "I love you and Harm a lot, but I'm not your guys' daughter and you're not my parents."

"News flash, sweetie, but if things go as planned on Wednesday, you will legally be Harm's daughter," Beth replied with an impish smile, which served to draw one from Mattie as well. "And then, when Harm and I do get married, that would legally make me your mother or stepmother or adoptive mother or, I don't know, but it makes me something."

That final tumble of words achieved its desired effect, which was to get Mattie laughing as the absurdity of the situation finally became clear.

"But those words are just titles for other people, Mattie. What matters is that Harm and I love you very much, whether you call us Harm and Beth or Hammer and Skates or Dad and Mom. And part of our loving you means we want you to remember your mother and the love she had for you and you have for her," Beth told Mattie before finally opening her arms for the teen, who readily stepped into them.

Harm's call for dinner eventually broke the two women apart and Beth guided Mattie to the restroom, helping the teen to erase some of the signs that she'd been crying. Beth also cleaned her own face as well before leading Mattie downstairs.

Andrews Air Force Base – Camp Springs, Maryland

2218 Eastern

An unmarked hanger at the far end of the base was one of several used by the CIA, where planes and their cargos could be kept from prying eyes. Tonight, it was serving to shelter a C-17 which had brought the wounded and dead back from the mission to capture Fahd. The agency didn't want to broadcast the heavy toll that single mission had exacted, as there were four hearses awaiting the deceased.

Among those watching events were Mac and Mrs. Webb. Clay's mother seemed to have aged several years over the last two days and looked extremely frail to Mac's eyes. Losing her only son seemed to have taken something vital from Mrs. Webb. For her part, Mac had slowly come to terms with the loss. Last night, she'd been up for a long time reflecting on her relationship with Clay and that reflection brought with it some bitter truths.

Mac had come to realize that she was in love with the idea of being loved, of that one man who would love her. She had been starved of love for too many years while growing up, making her ready to accept the words of love without ever witnessing those words in action. Dalton, Mic and Webb had all said what she needed to hear, yet none had ever really shown her them. Mic had probably come closest, resigning his commission and moving halfway around the world to be with her. Yet, it had also come with a price, with Mic constantly pushing her for a decision.

Clay, on the other hand, hadn't really pushed for anything. He'd been seemingly content to take what she was willing to give. Yet, the one thing that she would have wanted most was the one thing she was certain he wouldn't give. The secrets, the things hidden, were the things that would inevitably have gotten between them. For their relationship to have worked, he would have needed to leave the CIA.

Now, that decision was taken from them, just as he had been taken from her. And the one person she used to talk to in times like this was the one person she refused to go to now. The walls between them were simply too high to climb and too thick to breach, a small voice in her head rehearing Harm's stinging words about the men in her life being either dead or wishing they were. How true those words were, she thought, as she realized only Harm seemed to have escaped the curse that was her life.

The sound of a car door closing brought her back to the moment, as the last hearse was loaded. The hanger door was opened enough for them to drive through, along with letting those assembled depart. Mrs. Webb stood next to Mac for a moment before walking off to her chauffeured car, leaving Mac as the last to leave. A cold, wet rain had begun while she had been inside and the weather now perfectly matched her mood. Getting behind the wheel of her Corvette, she plan to drive home and make the decision on her next posting so that she could submit it first thing Monday morning.


	17. Chapter 17

December 7, 2003

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

0821 Eastern

Harm came awake to two sensations. The first was the feeling of a soft, warm body pressed close against his own. The second was the smell of fresh brewed coffee. Opening his eyes, he was rewarded with an incredibly beautiful vision, as Beth's eyes met his. Seizing the moment, he leaned into her for a kiss while also wrapping his arms around her.

"Good morning, sailor," Beth said sweetly, running her hand along the stubble on his chin.

"Good morning, beautiful," Harm replied. "Did you make coffee?"

"No, that's Mattie."

"Probably her way of telling us we're slept too long and should be up making breakfast," Harm said teasingly.

"Harm, she's fourteen. I'm positive she can handle finding breakfast for herself," was Beth's reply as she pulled him back down to the bed. "Besides, I've got other plans for you this morning."

It was almost two hours later before Harm and Beth emerged from the master bedroom, ready to face the day. Both of them had settled on jeans and sweatshirts, planning on a relaxing day spent at home. Entering the kitchen, they found Mattie sitting at the table with an unhappy look on her face. The reason became evident when Harm spotted the two plates sitting at vacant places, with scrambled eggs and hash browns on them.

"Oh, Mattie, did you do this for us?" Beth asked the teen.

"Yeah, but it's all cold now," Mattie grumbled. "I know you were awake, I heard you over an hour ago. That's when I started cooking. Then you didn't come down, but I could hear you moving around."

Harm and Beth exchanged a slightly embarrassed look at that, one that didn't escape the teen's notice, either.

"Oh," was all Mattie said before looking down at her coffee, finally cluing to what the two adults had been doing that morning.

"Well, we could try to reheat this," Beth said in a silence, furious at the artificial quality to her voice.

"So, when are you going to get married?" Mattie asked. "I mean, you asked her and she said yes, so when's the date going to be?"

"Yeah, Harm, when are we going to get married," Beth put in, enjoying having the focus shifted off her, even if it was now all on Harm.

"Well, we need to talk about that, I think."

"Oh, we definitely do."

"I mean, do you want a big wedding with hundreds of people or just something small and intimate. The bigger the wedding, the longer it will probably take to plan."

"Small and intimate sounds wonderful. The two of us, a chaplain, a couple of witnesses and the people closest to us are all I really need for it to be perfect," Beth told him.

"I know where I can find a chaplain, the witnesses too. It will take a day or two to get my mom and Frank here, not to mention your family. So, if we want to go that route, we could probably do it in two weeks," Harm said. "There is something I need to get, though."

Harm left the table, drawing looks from both Mattie and Beth. Going upstairs, he went into his office and removed an old box from the top shelf of the closet. Opening the box, he shuffled through the contents, searching for something he knows is there. Finally, he fingers find the small, square box at the very bottom. Picking it up, he opens the lid and removes a well-worn engagement ring. Closing his hand, he packs everything away before leaving the room and walking back down to the kitchen.

Kneeling next to Beth, he took her hand in his, then opened his other hand to expose the ring. Beth and Mattie both watch with tears in their eyes as Harm slowly slid it on Beth's hand. The ring was just a touch loose, but that could be remedied.

"That ring has been handed down from mother to son for four generations now. My great-grandfather gave that ring to my great-grandmother who, when it was time, gave it to her son to give to his bride, my grandmother. My grandmother then passed it to her son to give to his wife, my mother. In time, she gave it to me, telling me that it properly belonged to the woman I would choose to join my life to. That woman is you," Harm said.

"Until there's a next generation to receive it," Beth said, a smile lighting her eyes at that thought. "Now that that's decided, don't you think you should let your mother know? Then, we can tell my folks."

Looking at the kitchen clock, Harm did some mental match and came up with a time of around 0750 on the West Coast. Early, but not too early, so he went to the counter and picked up the telephone. Smiling at the thought of how this conversation was likely to go, he carried it back over to the table and sat down while he dialed the number, turning it onto speaker phone as it rang.

"Burnett residence," came Trish's voice.

"Good morning, Mom."

"Harm, darling. Twice in less than a month, that must be a record for you."

"Yes, Ma'am," Harm replied with a grin, recognizing the teasing tone his mother's voice held.

"Not that it isn't always a pleasure to hear from one's son, but is there a particular reason for such an early morning disturbance."

"Well, I was curious about your plans for the next few weeks, say around Christmas and the new year?"

"As you very well know, darling, Frank and I will be spending the holidays in this big, almost empty house. Seeing as how our only son never comes to visit," Trish told him, before hearing a muffled chuckle that suspiciously unlike Harm's.

Harm, for his part, looked at both Beth and Mattie, who were struggling to keep from full-blown laughter at the rampant teasing they were hearing directed at Harm.

"Since your thoughtless son won't come and visit you, have you thought about visiting him?" Harm asked, a smile on his face.

"Now, why would Frank and I wish to travel all that way, just to see such a thoughtless person?"

"Because there would be a couple of other people who might like to meet you, with one of them being your granddaughter."

A clatter was heard on the other end of the telephone, then the voice that spoke next was Frank, who had picked up the receiver and turned on the speakerphone, rather than Trish.

"What did you say to your mother, Harm? She's just standing here, looking shocked while her mouth just keeps opening and closing," Frank said.

"Nothing much, I just asked if she'd like to come out and meet your granddaughter," Harm said, waiting for it.

"My granddaughter?" Frank asked. "When did that all happen, Harm? And whose child is she?"

"Well, it should be official on Wednesday…."

"You mean Mattie?" asked Frank, quick on the uptake.

"Yes. The authorities found her father and he's signed off on my adopting her. So, if the judge agrees, then Mattie will legally be my daughter and that makes her your granddaughter."

"That would be one person, Harmon," Trish said. "You said a couple of people, so who else?"

"Are you sitting down now, Mom?" Harm asked, knowing that if news about Mattie had shocked her, this next item might just kill her.

"Uh, yes."

"The other person would be the woman I'm going to marry, just as soon as we can get you and Frank and her family out here for a ceremony."

"Oh my God," Trish screamed, causing Harm to wince slightly. "Who is this woman and how did you trick her into marrying an old bachelor like you?"

"Her name is Elizabeth Hawkes and …."

"There were no tricks involved, Ma'am," Beth finished.

"Aren't you the young lady who was Harm's RIO?" Trish asked. "The one who saved his life?"

"Yep, that's Skates, Mom."

"Why is this the first I've heard that you were even dating?"

"Actually, we've only been dating a couple of weeks," Beth said. "But I've loved him for almost 5 years now."

"I see," was all Trish said, but her voice had suddenly changed, becoming less friendly.

"Mom, you know me and feelings," Harm said, picking up on the change. "I've loved Beth for years as well, but there was always something in the way. Regulations, then other people. Now, there's nothing standing between us but ourselves and my fear of commitment. So, when Beth told me she loved me, I knew I couldn't let her get away from me. Not without a fight."

"And when he finally said that he loved me, I almost floated to the ceiling. Here was someone who I knew would love all of me, accepting the career I had chosen and the separations that might come. Someone who I could trust to always be there for me, because he always has been. And especially someone whom I loved with all my heart," Beth added.

"Who is that with you and what have you done with my son," Trish said, laughter in her voice. "I mean, seriously. I was beginning to doubt this day would ever come. Have you set a date, yet?"

"Well, Ma'am," Beth began, only to have Trish stop her.

"Ma'am just isn't going to work, Elizabeth. My name is Trish and you can either call me that or Mom, alright?"

"Alright, Trish. We're thinking just a small, intimate ceremony with our families and a few friends, so we were thinking in two weeks or so."

"Is there anything you're not telling us?" Trish asked.

"No, Mom," Harm said. "We're not having a baby, we just don't want to wait. We're not looking for some wedding extravaganza with hundreds of people we either barely know or don't know at all. We just want to get married, surrounded by our families."

"If that's the way you want it, Darlings. That would take you to the week of Christmas, will you be able to have everything ready by then?"

"We should be able to. I just need a dress, plus one for Mattie. Harm will wear his Mess Dress uniform. So, a nice dress for you and a suit for your husband, the same from my parents and outfits for our attendants. Best man, Harm?"

"Bud, which means Harriet and the boys will be there. Maid of Honor, Beth?"

A huge grin crossed her face as she turned to Mattie, "I think I've got that covered, don't I, Mattie?"

"Damned straight," Mattie said.

"And I'll have Chaplain Turner perform the ceremony," Harm said.

"That just leaves the place and the date?" Trish said. "If my count is correct, that's 12 people. Add Grandma Sarah and say a couple of others and we're at 15. So, we wouldn't necessarily need someplace big."

Beth and Harm looked at each other, thinking through places. Yet, especially with the holidays fast approaching, most places were likely already booked for various events. Then it struck Harm and he cocked his head to one side, trying to picture it in his mind. Beth and Mattie just waited patiently, while Trish and Frank didn't know what to make of the silence on the other end of the connection.

"If we moved the furniture around a little," Harm said, a smile coming to his face, "we could have the ceremony here. I mean, we'll probably have parties here with more people."

"And I know when," Beth put in. "I think we should get married on Christmas Eve."

"I'm not sure, sweetheart," Harm said, not wanting his emotions about that particular day to ruin his wedding with Beth. Surprising support for the idea came from Trish, who instantly recognized the cause of her son's reluctance.

"I like the idea, darling," Trish told them. "Harmon, I know why you're opposed, but I want you to think about something. Remember that last tape of your father's, the one I gave you just before you went to Russia. What your father said about wanting me to go on with my life applies to you as well. So, I think Christmas Eve is the best day for your wedding, where we'll remember the past while celebrating the future."

"Alright, then. Plan on being here for Christmas, with the wedding being on Christmas Eve," Harm said.

"I'll be there before that, darling. I'm not about to let Beth get stuck with all the wedding planning. Besides, it will give me time to get to know both her and Mattie."

"That would be wonderful, Trish," Beth told her.

After a few more moments spent chatting, the call ended with a promise to let Harm and Beth know when the Burnetts would be flying in. Then it was time to call Beth's parents, who were no less shocked than Trish and Frank had been, especially at the seeming suddenness of the decision. They too promised to come out early "to help", which both Beth and Harm correctly interpreted as "to check out Harm" and hopefully have time to talk Beth out of any perceived mistakes.

Without a doubt, the next couple of weeks promised to be eventful.


	18. Chapter 18

December 8, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

0853 Eastern

Harm entered the conference room early for staff call, not really surprised to see that he was still the last to arrive even after making sure to be early. He took the open seat next to Sturgis, across from Bud. Mac hardly spared him a glance before returning her attention to her papers. The door opened to admit Colonel Cresswell before anyone could speak. After going over the current cases, he turn to the topic of new cases.

"I won't be handing out new cases today, because of the pending orders for Colonel MacKenzie, Commander Rabb and Lieutenant Roberts. I've arranged with SECNAV to have cases diverted to the various NLSOs for the time being, since I don't want to have to switch attorneys in the middle of a case. Therefore, I need you to make certain you've spoken with Commander Manetti and do so ASAP. Inform me immediately following that," Cresswell said.

"I have already spoken to the Commander, Sir," Mac said, her tone of voice flat.

"As have I, Sir," Bud added.

"And you, Commander?"

"Just before I came in here, Sir," Harm said.

"Excellent. I'll let you all know as soon as I receive your new orders," Cresswell said before standing to leave the room, the others rising as he did.

"So, give. Where are you all going from here?" Sturgis asked.

"Well, Harriet and I discussed the choices I was offered and I'll be taking an instructor's position at Annapolis in January. The kids are settled here, we've got a wonderful house. It just felt right to stay in the area," Bud said. "How about you, Ma'am?"

"I'll be the new deputy SJA at MARFORPAC in Hawaii as of 2 January 2004," Mac said. "It will give me a chance to get some staff experience, plus get me back with Marines and away from squids."

"Very funny, Mac," Sturgis told her. "And that just leaves you, Harm?"

"That will depend on the outcome of my meeting with SECNAV this afternoon," Harm said.

"And just why are you meeting with SECNAV?" Mac asked, stunned.

"I resubmitted my resignation and not less than ten minutes after I faxed it, I got a phone call from Manetti informing me that I have an appointment with SECNAV at 1600."

"Harm, as much as you might have disliked the Admiral bringing you back the way he did, the basic truth still exists. JAG is dangerously short-staffed in key areas, too many officers are leaving the Navy and not enough are coming in to replace them. Do you know that when he requested your involuntary recall, there were fifteen other officers also recalled," Mac said.

"And I'm not indifferent to those issues. But I also have personal reasons for not being able to accept any of the posts currently being offered to me. Mattie's hearing is on Wednesday and I can't make a decision until that is decided, then there's my…." Harm started to add before stopping mid-sentence.

"Your what, Harm?" Sturgis asked, wondering.

"I'm getting married," Harm blurted, unable to stop himself. A look at Mac showed her face had gone white, before he was being congratulated by Bud and Sturgis. Mac silently slipped from the room, now glad to be leaving JAG and wondering if she could apply for leave before assuming her new posting. Going to her office, she closed the door and locked it, followed by lowering the blinds.

SECNAV's office – The Pentagon

1558 Eastern

Harm had been waiting in the outer office for about ten minutes. The walk from the security checkpoint had been under the supervision on a Marine corporal, whose appearance and bearing impressed Harm. He had also obviously done this before, as the maze of halls had quickly confused Harm. It was almost as bad as being aboard a carrier for the first time.

The SECNAV's assistant, who occupied a desk opposite from where he sat, had offered him a cup of coffee when he had first entered. Harm had politely declined, worried that he might accidentally spill some on him or something. Rather, he tried to calm his nerves about the imminent meeting, while also attempting to organize his thoughts.

Finally, the inner office door opened and Harm was bidden to enter by Commander Manetti. It was only when he came into the office that he noticed that there were other people there besides the SECNAV. Standing behind the SECNAV were the CNO and Colonel Cresswell, while Commander Manetti had remained in the room and was following him. Stopping before the SECNAV's desk, Harm snapped to attention.

"Commander Rabb, reporting as ordered, Sir," Harm said.

"At ease, Commander," SECNAV said, as he stood. "In fact, why don't we all sit down and we can talk," he continued as he moved to a corner of the office where a large sofa and some chairs were arranged. Harm and Tracy sat down on the couch after the others had taken the chairs.

"Commander Rabb, I received your resignation request this morning along with some explanation from Commander Manetti about it being a personal matter. I'm afraid that I can't accept your resignation without more information," SECNAV said.

"Commander, from reading your personnel records, the evaluations submitted of you and also the work you did in the Imes review, I see an officer destined for greater things," Colonel Cresswell told Harm. "As has the O-6 promotions board. They reported out this morning and you're number 2 on the list."

"So, you see, Commander," SECNAV said. "We're not ready to lose an officer of your demonstrated caliber without a fight. Hell, in my opinion, your resignation should have never been processed in the first place."

"You mean I shouldn't have been allowed to go after Colonel MacKenzie and Mister Webb, Sir?" Harm asked, a slight touch of anger in his voice.

"No, I mean you should have been granted leave or placed on TDY, Commander. Something else I intend on fixing is the six months you were gone. Your time with our friends at Langley will be put down as TDY, while the rest will be covered as leave. So, according to your records, you never left the Navy."

"Mr. Secretary, I'm very honored. But I still intend to resign, because there have been some changes in my life that may require my staying in the area," Harm said.

"Well, I know there was at least one position on the list you were given that would keep you in the area," the CNO said.

"Yes, the Assistant SJA post with the Joint Chiefs, Sir. Admiral, I'm not very good at pushing paper and anyone who knows me can tell you that."

"I can understand that, Commander. I'm not much of a fan of paperwork, either," the CNO said.

"What exactly are those changes, Commander?" SECNAV asked. "Maybe we can figure something out?"

"Well, I'm in the process of adopting a teenager, Sir. If that fails, I'll be seeking guardianship for her, which would mean we couldn't leave Virginia while I have guardianship. Also, I'm getting married on Christmas Eve to an instructor at the Naval Academy," Harm told them.

At that, the SECNAV and the CNO shared a look and smiled, while Colonel Cresswell and Commander Manetti offered their congratulations. The SECNAV and CNO both quickly joined in with their well wishes.

"And who is the lovely lady who has succeeded in claiming you, Commander?" Manetti asked.

"Her name is Elizabeth Hawkes, she was my RIO when I flew off the Patrick Henry with the Raptors. She's a Lieutenant Commander teaching Aeronautical Engineering at the Academy," Harm replied.

"Commander, can I make you an offer?" SECNAV asked, thinking quickly as things fell into place. "Why don't we table your resignation for the moment? Please, hear me out," he said, seeing Harm about to interrupt. "I know I told you I needed a decision ASAP, but why not wait and see what happens with the adoption. When is that due to be decided?"

"There's a hearing on Wednesday, Sir."

"Alright, then why don't you contact Commander Manetti by Thursday and let us know what happened. If the adoption is successful, would you be willing to accept the FJA post in London? We could have your wife posted to the Defense Attaché's office, under spousal co-location," SECNAV added, a smile on his face.

"Yes, I would," Harm said, knowing there really wasn't any other answer. From his take on the conversation, the SECNAV wasn't going to accept his resignation. So, if everything worked out, why not take what promised to be a great post and a great experience for Mattie. He just hoped that Beth and Mattie would see things that way. With that thought came another and Harm flashed a quick glance at his watch, seeing to his horror that it was already after 1700. He simply couldn't be late for the home visits scheduled that evening.

Fortunately, the meeting didn't last much longer as the SECNAV's assistant came in to remind him of a meeting with the President. With that announcement, everyone stood and left, again offering their congratulations to Harm. Commander Manetti escorted him back to the main entrance, from which Harm could find his way to his car and the hopefully quick drive home.

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

1816 Eastern

Harm had just arrived home, to find Mattie working on homework at the kitchen table. Taking a moment, he stopped to check on what she was studying before continuing to the refrigerator for something to drink. Removing a bottle of tomato juice, he poured a glass and carried it to the table.

"You're late," was all Mattie said before looking up at him.

"Sorry, got caught in a meeting," Harm told her.

"At least you got here before Ms. LeMoyne did."

"Mattie, I said I was sorry. When the boss says to meet him, I can't tell him 'Sorry, Sir, but I have other things to do'."

Whatever Mattie might have replied was lost to the sound of the doorbell. Harm quickly went to answer it, putting a smile on his face before he pulled the door open.

"Good evening," Harm told the woman who faced him.

"I'm Donna LeMoyne, from Children's Services. Are you Harmon Rabb?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Please, come in."

"Thank you," was all the woman said as she stepped inside, taking a look around the portion of the house that she could see.

"May I take your coat, Ma'am? Mattie's in the kitchen working on homework," Harm said, pointing the way.

Handing over her coat before walking that way, she saw Mattie writing something down before looking back at the book opened in front of her.

"Hello, Matilda," Ms. LeMoyne said, before Mattie stopped her.

"I prefer Mattie, please," Mattie said while looking over at them. "It's nice to meet you."

"Alright, Mattie. You know why I'm here, to make certain that this is a suitable environment for a teenage girl to be brought up in. So, why don't you tell me why you want to live with Commander Rabb?"

"Because I trust him, Ma'am. There have been plenty of times where Harm could have abandoned me, left me to take care of myself and he never has. He's looked after me, making sure that I have everything I need. He's the one who got me back into school and he's always telling me that I need a good education for my future. But more than all that, I…I…I love him."

"I saw you hesitate to say that, Mattie. You don't need to be afraid to tell me you love him," Ms. LeMoyne told her.

"I'm not afraid of telling you, it's just that I've lost all the people I love and I don't want to lose Harm too," Mattie said, while Harm put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"And what about your father?"

"I hold him responsible for my mother's death and will never speak with him again."

Ms. LeMoyne and Harm exchanged a look at that statement and the finality in Mattie's voice. Harm gently shook his head, hoping that the social worker would leave the subject. But, it was not to be.

"Mattie, breaking all contact with your father is a big step…," was as far as Ms. LeMoyne got before Mattie let loose.

"He is responsible for my mother's death, for taking out loans that nearly cost me my inheritance and the company my mother built, then he ran off to find a bottle to crawl into and you want what, for me to go back to him? Open my arms and say 'I love you, Daddy'? Not going to happen, not now and not ever," Mattie exploded before jumping up from the table and running from the room. Harm was torn, knowing her needed to complete the interview with Ms. LeMoyne but also wanting to go and comfort Mattie.

"I'm sorry," Ms. LeMoyne said, slightly taken aback.

"It's still a very touchy subject for Mattie and it's something that she may need professional help with, at some point. I'm hoping that time and love will help, as well," Harm said.

"Why do you want guardianship of Mattie?"

"Because I happen to love her. She's smart, funny and hard working. No matter what, just being around her makes me feel better and at the same time, I understand some of what she's going through. I lost my father when I was 6, but I was lucky in that I had a mother who loved and supported me and a grandmother on whose farm I spent my summers. I want to give that to Mattie, the love and support that comes from family."

"And what about your career in the Navy?" Ms. LeMoyne asked. "Isn't it potentially dangerous?"

"Well, I'm currently a JAG, which is a lawyer, so my job isn't any more dangerous than being a lawyer in Washington, New York or Los Angeles. I've also been offered a couple of new postings that would be staff positions, which would take me even further from danger."

Ms. LeMoyne studied Harm's face for a long moment before nodding her head.

"Commander Rabb, I have to say you're a refreshing change from most of the people I interview. I can see that you genuinely love that young lady and she obviously adores you, I think you're very good for each other and I'll report that to Judge Morten."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Harm said as she got up. He walked her to the door, which they reached just in time for a knock on the other side.

"I'm positive that Morgan," Ms. LeMoyne said, a smile on her face, as she collected her coat while Harm opened the door.

"Hello, is this the Rabb residence," asked an older gentleman.

"Come on in, Morgan. I'm just leaving, this is Commander Rabb. Commander, this is Morgan Watley and he'll be doing the home inspection," Ms. LeMoyne told the two men as she stepped outside.

"Mr. Watley, where would you like to begin? Top to bottom or bottom to top?" Harm asked.

"How about we start with Ms. Johnson's room, then proceed from there. I don't really need the grand tour, you see. Just to make sure she's safe, with an acceptable living space and well looked after."

Leading the way, Harm showed Mr. Watley upstairs and down the hall to Mattie's room. Seeing the door closed, he knocked and waited. A couple of seconds later, Mattie opened the door and let them in. Harm was impressed, as he could see no sign that the teen had been crying. What he didn't know was that Mattie had done what Beth had shown her how to do to remove the evidence.

Mr. Watley looked around the room and was impressed to see that Mattie had her own bathroom. A couple of minutes more were spent with him examining the power outlets and lights, then he and Harm left the bedroom and went downstairs. Here, he looked through the kitchen and pantry, noting the healthy foods that were stocked along with surprisingly few junk foods. He also looked into the living room and family room, before going into the basement to check the furnace and laundry room. With that, he was finished, except for a few questions for Harm.

"I didn't notice much in the way of kid foods?"

"Oh, I get a few that Mattie likes, but I'm trying to encourage her towards healthier choices. So, that's why there's yogurts and fruits over chips and cookies."

"I saw on your application that you're in the Navy. Do you have any firearms in the house?" Mr. Watley asked.

"Yes, I have a registered handgun. It's kept in a locked case in the closet of my bedroom," Harm told him.

"Do you consider that safe, with a child in the house?"

"Mr. Watley, it is locked up and I have the only key."

"Very well, Commander. Just understand that I will have to include that information in my report to the court," Mr. Watley told Harm.

"Of course," is all Harm said as he escorted Mr. Watley to the door. "Have a good evening."

With the visitors of the evening finished, Harm went into the kitchen and began to fix a late dinner for himself and Mattie. He elected to go with spaghetti and garlic bread, along with salads. While the water was set to boil, he cleared the table of Mattie's homework and carried it into the dining room. Then he set the table and got out a soda for her and a bottle of mineral water for himself.

When the food was ready, Harm called Mattie down to eat. The events of the day led to a relatively silent meal. Then Mattie left the room to finish up her homework, while Harm cleared away the wreckage and started the dish washer. That done, he went upstairs and changed into sweats before picking up his old guitar and starting to play for a couple of hours. Finally, he went to bed and tried to sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

December 10, 2003

Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court – Montgomery County, Virginia

0852 Eastern

Harm and Mr. Peabody sat at the Plaintiff's table in Judge Morten's courtroom, while Mattie and Beth occupied the seats behind them. Harm and Beth had both elected to forgo uniforms today, since neither of them were appearing in their professional capacities. Harm had chosen a dark gray suit, with a white shirt and matching gray tie. Beth was dressed in a dark blue dress, with matching flats and no jewelry except her engagement ring. As for Mattie, she was wearing one of the outfits she'd selected with Beth, a dark blue pant suit with gray silk blouse and black flats.

Harm turned and smiled at the two women, before looking over at Mr. Peabody. The old man was wearing a black three piece suit with dark blue shirt and black tie, looking as much like an undertaker as an attorney. The gold watch and chain were sitting in his hand as he nodded slightly before putting it away and beginning to stand, just as the bailiff entered.

"All rise, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of Montgomery County is now in session, the Honorable Judge Amie Morten presiding," the bailiff intoned.

"Please be seated," Judge Morten said, after she'd settled in. "We're here in the matter of the guardianship petition filed by Harmon Rabb Junior with respects to Matilda Grace Johnson and the counter-motion to that petition filed by Thomas Johnson. I see that there is representation present for Mr. Rabb."

"I have that privilege, Your Honor," Mr. Peabody said, standing. "Charles Peabody, Ma'am."

"Thank you, Mr. Peabody. And is there any representation present for Mr. Johnson?"

"Your Honor?"

"Yes, Mr. Peabody," Judge Morten said, while looking around the noticeably vacant courtroom.

"Your Honor, if you would turn to Plaintiff's exhibits 1 thru 3, you will find that we filed notice on Monday that Mr. Johnson was waiving his counter-motion. We also filed Mr. Johnson's waiver of all parental rights with regards to Ms. Matilda Johnson and we filed a final motion seeking the adoption of Ms. Johnson by Mr. Rabb, rather than just guardianship," Mr. Peabody told the judge.

"Very well, Mr. Peabody. I have those documents and notice that they have all been correctly filed and the signatures duly witnessed. Therefore, with regards to Mr. Johnson, his parental rights are revoked herewith. As to the petition for adoption by Mr. Harmon Rabb, I have here the reports filed by the guardian ad litem, Ms. LeMoyne, and the home inspection carried out by Mr. Watley," Judge Morten said.

"Both gave very positive reports, with Ms. LeMoyne noting the love between Ms. Johnson and Mr. Rabb and her belief that Mr. Rabb would be a positive influence on Ms. Johnson. Mr. Watley found the home to meet or exceed all of the requirements and only had one note of concern, which was the presence of a registered firearm. Mr. Rabb did advise that the weapon was kept in a locked case and records do show that he is licensed for the weapon. The presence of the firearm is a concern in any home with a minor, yet Mr. Rabb was forthcoming about the weapon and his method of safely keeping it. Therefore, I do not believe it to hinder his petition for adoption."

"I do have a few questions for Mr. Rabb, however, before I rule," Judge Morten said.

Harm walked forward to be sworn by the bailiff, then sat in the witness box next to the Judge.

"Mr. Rabb, if I was to approve your adoption petition, would you want Ms. Johnson to change her name? And if she were to choose not to, how would it affect your feelings toward her?"

"Your Honor, I would be deeply honored if Mattie made the decision to change her name. But I would still call her my daughter no matter what her name might be. I don't love her because of her name, I love her because of the person she is," Harm said.

"And I see you and Ms. Johnson have a support section with you. Would you introduce her, please?" Judge Morten asked.

"That's my fiancée, Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Hawkes."

"And does she share your love for Ms. Johnson?"

"I believe she does. When we spend time together, it's been as a family. And Mattie has really taken to Beth, often joining together to tease me," Harm replied.

"And you're getting married when?" the Judge asked.

"On Christmas eve, in a small private ceremony. Mattie is serving as Beth's maid of honor, in fact."

"I see. Thank you, Mr. Rabb, you may step down."

The judge waited until Harm had returned to his seat, looking at the small group in the courtroom and clearly liking what she saw. While Harm had been on the stand, she had noticed that Mattie's hand had sought out the Beth's for support. And Beth had instinctively wrapped an arm around the teenager, pulling her slightly nearer. She was also slightly curious about Mattie's father and the rapid turn of events there, not to mention wondering what sort of man would simply abandon his daughter. He most likely wouldn't have gotten custody of the girl, but to not even make an attempt helped make the Judge's decision.

"Ms. Johnson, would you please approach," the Judge said, motioning to the side of the bench where she could come up.

Mattie stood and walked forward, then continued on up as the Judge beckoned. When she stood next to the Judge, she bent down for Amie to whisper into her ear and for her to whisper something back followed by the Judge quickly writing something down. Harm watched, wondering for a brief moment what was being said. Then, Mattie stood back up and took the paper that was handed to her before turning. She walked down towards the table where Harm and Mr. Peabody awaited, stopping next to Harm.

"Judge Morten asked me to give you this, Dad," was all Mattie said, waiting for the message's meaning to sink in for Harm as well as Beth.

The Judge simply smiled as she saw the moment it had, with Harm almost knocking his chair over in order to stand and hug Mattie. Beth joined them a second later, planting a kiss on Mattie's cheek that mixed with the tears the teen was shedding. Judge Morten waited a few minutes while the family rejoiced before lightly striking her gavel to get their attention.

"Congratulations, Mr. Rabb. I will be entering an order of adoption in your favor, as well as a legal change of name. A printed copy of that order will be mailed to Mr. Peabody, so that you can make arrangements for collecting a new social security card and other identifications for your daughter," Judge Morten said.

"Name change, Your Honor?" Mr. Peabody asked.

"I think I'll let her tell you," was all the Judge said with a smile. "We're adjourned."

As the Judge left the courtroom, the three adults all turned to Mattie who was grinning from ear to ear.

"So?" Harm and Beth asked, almost in unison.

"I told the Judge I wanted my name to be Matilda Grace Rabb, so that everyone will know I'm your daughter," Mattie told them. "Besides, you didn't think I'd wanted any reminders of him, did you?"

Harm knew instantly what she was talking about and wondered again about suggesting she see someone. Especially now that she was legally his daughter, he could get one of the staff psychologists or psychiatrists at Bethesda to see her. For all he knew, this was a normal thing, but it still concerned him that Mattie was essentially cutting all ties to her father. He just didn't want her to come to regret these decisions later in life.

Giving his head a shake, Harm announced that this was cause for celebration. Leading the group out of the courthouse, he asked Mattie where she wanted to have lunch. It didn't surprise him when her choice was a steakhouse, so he just smiled and waved them towards the Lexus. Mr. Peabody told them that he would see them there, as he went to his own car.

Scott and Martin Funeral Home – Washington, DC

1923 Eastern

Mac sat in the first row of chairs, next to Mrs. Webb, at the visitation. Across from her was the half-open casket containing Clay's body. The mortician had done an excellent job, giving the face a peaceful look that suggested tranquility rather than the violence that had preceded his death. This was, for her, the final confirmation that Clay was really dead. It was pretty hard to fake the presence of an actual body.

The room was populated by knots of people, mostly associates of Clay's from out at Langley. Bud and Harriet had made a stop earlier, offering their condolences, as had the Admiral. She knew in both cases that their stops had been for her benefit rather than out of any special feeling for Clay. This was especially true of the Admiral, who had despised Clay and the way he had endangered her and Harm over the years.

Feeling a little restless, after sitting for so long listening to the repeated sympathies of people she didn't know, Mac got up and walked towards the door. She figured on getting a drink from the small snack lounge down the hall and stretching her legs, before going back to Mrs. Webb's side. As she was nearing the door, she saw Harm come through it. In light of the events of the last six months or so, she was surprised to see him here tonight.

For his part, Harm almost hadn't come. He and Clay weren't friends, per se, and his relationship with Mac at the moment could only be described as tattered. Still, he could also remember those occasions when Clay, maybe not always willingly, had come through for him. So, it was because of those memories and out of respect for his sacrifice that Harm had come. He walked to the front of the room and stood before the casket for several long minutes before walking over to where Mrs. Webb sat.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Webb," Harm said, not knowing what else to say while also recognizing how utterly useless those words were.

"Thank you, Commander," was all Mrs. Webb said in reply, seeming not to have really heard what he'd said.

Other people were approaching, so Harm moved off. He looked for Mac, but didn't see her. He at least wanted to express his sympathy to her before he left, but he also wasn't exactly interested in hanging around. Then he caught a glimpse of her near the doorway and he walked over to her.

"Mac, I'm sorry about Clay's death," Harm said.

"Why are you here, Harm? I mean, obviously I don't mean a thing to you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have thrown your engagement to that mouse in my face, the way you did. And adopting a kid, too. My, my, you're all in on the instant family thing, aren't you?" Mac said bitterly, while also keeping her voice low enough that nobody had noticed yet.

"My God, Mac. You made your choice perfectly clear in Paraguay, remember? You chose Clay when you told me there would never be an 'us', remember? So, I found happiness with Beth and we're getting married. Or was I just supposed to wait for you to come back around, so you could play yo-yo with my emotions again?"

"You son of a bitch," Mac said as she slapped him, drawing people's attention.

Harm saw this and rather than continue the conversation and disrupt the solemn nature to the evening, elected to leave the room. Unfortunately, Mac wasn't quite so willing to let it go. She stalked after him, her rage boiling over. By the time she caught up to him, they were outside the building in the parking lot and away from people.

"Don't you dare walk away from me," Mac shouted.

"Mac, I'm sorry that Clay was killed. I truly hoped things would work out for you and that you'd finally find some happiness," Harm said. "But I'm sick of this anger you have about me moving on with my life. For both our sakes, I think it would be best if we don't talk for a while. You need to go to Hawaii and try to heal, while I need to spend time with my family. If things change, maybe in a few years, we can try to be friends again."

With that, Harm climbed into his SUV and drove off, leaving Mac standing there staring at the taillights as they receded into the distance.


	20. Chapter 20

December 11, 2003

JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia

0922 Eastern

Colonel Cresswell ended staff call by handing out the new orders for Harm, Bud and Mac. None of the assembled staff had yet learned where Harm would be going to, which naturally caused them all to be curious when he was handed his folder. With Colonel Cresswell still in the room, none of them could ask. However, Harm wasn't going to be given a chance to tell the others, as Colonel Cresswell had decided to make an announcement.

"Immediately after staff call, all personnel will assemble in the bullpen. I have an announcement to make," Colonel Cresswell said. "Commander Turner, if you would go down to the guard station on the first floor and escort my guests up, please?"

"Aye, aye, Sir," Sturgis said, slightly curious.

The others followed the Colonel out of the conference room and into the bullpen, where the entire JAG staff was gathered. Admiral Morris and the other judges had also come down, along with their legalmen. A space had been left in front of the JAG's office for the Colonel and a few others. Cresswell stepped into the area, folding his hands behind his back as he surveyed the room.

"As I'm certain you're all aware, several of the senior staff will be transferring to other billets in the near future. These transfers are not a reflection of any disapproval in their work. Rather, their excellent work has resulted in their having been left in place for much longer than was good for their careers. For them to advance, they need to gain new skills and these transfers are designed with that in mind. I won't go into details as to where they are going, they can tell you that themselves. However, there is one task I've been gratefully assigned to perform before one of these officers leaves us. Commander Harmon Rabb, front and center," Cresswell said.

Harm marched to the area just in front of Colonel Cresswell.

"Commander Rabb will be proceeding from here to London, where he will be the FJA United States Naval Forces, Europe. The O-6 promotion board has just reported out and Commander Rabb is number two on the promotions list. Frocking has been approved, with the official date of rank being 2 January 2004, which is also when he will assume his new post. Congratulations, Captain Rabb."

Almost everyone in the room applauded the announcement, the exception being Mac who had silently remained at the back of the room throughout. Unfortunately, this position gave her a good look at the guests who were standing next to Sturgis. Mattie and Beth were positively glowing as they watched Colonel Cresswell administer the oath of office for Harm's promotion, with Beth knowing what was coming next.

"If the family of Captain Rabb would come forward to assist in changing his shoulder boards," Cresswell said, which caused Harm to start looking around the room. Then he caught sight of the two women.

"How?" Harm asked, stunned.

"Commander Manetti remembered your fiancée's name and contacted her after you called to accept the posting. We all figured you'd want them here," Cresswell said, a smile crossing his face. He doubted that very many people had had the privilege of pulling one over on Rabb. He handed the two woman the new shoulder boards and together they replaced the old ones. Then it was time for the ceremonial kiss, which Beth executed to perfection, bringing forth another round of applause.

"Thank you that will be all. Dismissed," Cresswell said, at which point a number of the staff came forward to formally congratulate Harm, while also meeting Beth and Mattie. Even Bud, Harriet and Sturgis joined in, wanting to congratulate Mattie on the adoption and ask when the wedding would be, especially with Harm due in London in less than a month.

Harm did notice that Mac had disappeared without ever offering her congratulations. Her office door was closed and the lights were off. Then he remembered that the funeral for Webb was that morning and assumed that she had gone there, so he dismissed her from his thoughts. After a few moments more, it was time for Mattie and Beth to leave, so that Beth could drop Mattie off at school in time for her third period class. Beth also needed to get back to Annapolis so that she could grade some final papers for her classes, as well as finish the semester's final exam.

With everyone getting back to their work, Harm suddenly found himself alone in the middle of the bullpen. Looking over at Sturgis' office, he headed in that direction. Harm needed to get Chaplain Turner's phone number, so that it could be arranged for him to conduct the wedding ceremony on Christmas Eve.

December 13, 2003

Blacksburg Airport – Blacksburg, Virginia

1302 Eastern

Harm, Beth and Mattie had gotten an early start on the day, realizing that there was plenty that needed to be accomplished between now and the end of the year. Today would be a good start, since they were meeting with Thomas Boone at the Grace Aviation hanger. Harm was especially interested in Mattie and the Admiral getting to meet, since the old man was going to really be working for her. She was trusting Harm's judgment in this case and he believed she could use some first-hand information to support that.

Spotting a car he instantly knew belonged to Boone, he pulled in besides it. Getting out of the SUV, he turned to offer Mattie a hand, only to be interrupted by the call from behind him.

"Is this how you're planning to run this, Commander?" Boone called as he exited his car. "Late as usual."

"Gee, Admiral. Never would have guessed you were retired," Beth said with a grin.

"Now there's a sight for sore eyes. How are you, Skates?"

"I'm great, Sir. Thank you."

"Still flying, Lieutenant?"

"I'm on shore at the moment. And it is Lieutenant Commander now, Sir," Beth told him.

"Outstanding, Skates. But what are you doing here with Commander Rabb?" Boone asked.

"Well, Captain Rabb is my fiancé."

"Captain Rabb, huh? I knew they were hard pressed, but I didn't think they'd reached the bottom of the barrel just yet," Boone said with a laugh, drawing a sharp look from Mattie until she saw that both Beth and Harm were laughing too. Boone then turned to Mattie. "You must be Mattie."

Mattie looked at Boone for a moment before extending her hand. "Mattie Grace Rabb, pleased to meet you, Admiral Boone."

"The only one here who has to call me Admiral is your dad. You can call me Tom."

Mattie and Boone shared a look, each obviously forming an opinion about the other. Harm and Beth are merely bystanders at this moment, watching and waiting. Finally, Tom nods his head and points towards the hanger.

"How about you show me around and then we're take a look at the books?" he asked.

"Follow me then, Tom," Mattie replies, a smile of relief on her face. This guy didn't seem to be half as bad as that bald jerk Harm used to work for.

The tour started in the hanger, where Mattie pointed out the planes that the company owned. Boone would stop her occasionally to ask questions, listening to her answers and then moving on to something else. But as the afternoon progressed, it became evident that Mattie was winning the old man over, not just with her ready answers, but also with the direct way that she talked. When Harm had first approached him with the idea, Boone had been skeptical about working for what he thought was a kid. Now, he realized that Mattie was a lot more grown up than her age could have possibly indicated.

Once the tour of the hanger was over, it was on to the office and the company's books. Here again, Boone was impressed by the work that the young woman had done. Everything was recorded, the maintenance files were organized and up to date, as were the invoices and receipts. The one glaring issue was the past due accounts for services the company had performed. The bills for them were simply not being paid on time or not at all. This situation had effectively drained the company's accounts. Finally, he closed the books and turned to look at the others.

"Do you know any good attorneys, Harm?" Boone asked with a smile.

"Oh, one or two. Why?" Harm replied with a question of his own.

"Because the first thing we need to do is send out collection notices to these late accounts. If they can't afford to pay, that's one thing. But I think they're not paying because they know Mattie's running things and they figure she won't be able to do anything. We need to politely remind them that they have an obligation to pay us and that if necessary, we will take them to court."

"I agree, Sir. I can create a form letter, then you just fill in the name and such."

"Or you could talk to Mr. Peabody," Mattie said. "I mean, if we do have to take them to court and we're in London, how would that work?"

Harm had the good grace to look sheepish at that, while Beth and Boone shared a look.

"That sounds good, Harm," Boone said. "Now, that's only half the battle. The other side is the aircraft. They're older, which means higher maintenance costs. Also, the hoppers on them are smaller than on more modern aircraft, meaning they can cover less ground before having to come back and get more chemicals to spray. At some point we should consider newer planes, to help grow the business."

"Well, no bank's going to touch the company, not after what he did," Mattie said.

Boone raised an eyebrow at this, looking from Mattie to Harm. Harm met the look and gently shook his head, silently asking that the topic be avoided.

"I was thinking of new planes, too," Harm put in. "As for money, Mattie, that's not an issue. The question is, would the cost of buying the planes be offset by the potential increased revenue?"

"I think it could be, Harm," Boone said. "Yes, it's a big cash outlay up front, but if the new planes were to cut your maintenance expenses in half I think it would be worth considering. We'd have to look at the cost of the planes and what their projected associated costs would be, but I think they'd pay for themselves."

"We could still keep the older planes. More planes means more capacity. So, if we could find more customers, we could grow that way too," Mattie put in, drawing a look of consideration from the two men, which gradually changed to admiration. "And if you're right about those new planes paying for themselves, then once they're paid for we could look at replacing the older planes."

"I like the way you think, Mattie," Boone said with a laugh.

"I was also thinking about running a charter service, too. Maybe a twin-engine turboprop or small business jet," Harm said. "I think it would be worth looking at the numbers and seeing if that could also be profitable."

"I'll look into that, Harm," Boone replied. "If we do it, we'll need to add hanger space. Depending on how many aircraft you're thinking of, probably two hangers. One for the new dusters and one of the exec aircraft. Also, all the current planes are piston engine, so figure on some more mechanics to handle the new engines, which means more cost."

"Well, I still think we should look at the numbers. I'd only want to do it if there was a good potential for profit. The newer dusters are already a given, since I know the company can make money with them, as long as the customers pay their bills. So, we'll get two or three new planes for now and let the Admiral come up with some facts about the other stuff, agreed?"

Both Mattie and Boone quickly agreed.

"Alright. Admiral, there'll be five million in the company's account by Wednesday for the new planes. Once you've done the numbers for the charter business, we'll go over them and see it we want to do that. If so, I'll wire more money."

Harm, Mattie and Boone all shook on the deal. Boone wasn't about to admit it, but this was the most alive he'd felt in years, probably all the way back to when he was the CAG aboard the Seahawk. Maybe that was it, the fact that he would be flying again. Probably not on a daily basis, but still more than he had in years. He hadn't said anything to Harm but that was the true motivating factor for him to take on this crazy job. And now that he'd met her, there was also Mattie. That kid reminded Boone of himself, straight forward with no sugar coating. 'This is who I am. Don't like it, tough,' was the message she and he both conveyed.

It was only when they were back in the car and beginning to drive back to Falls Church that Mattie finally remembered the question she hadn't thought to ask.

"Harm, where are we going to get five million dollars?"

"Well, I thought I'd loan it to you, boss," was Harm's careless reply, while he silently counted down how long it would be before….

"What?!" Mattie screamed, making Harm glad he'd braced himself. He did notice Beth's head snap around as she gave him a wide-eyed stare.

"When were you planning on telling me you had that kind of money?" Beth asked.

"Does my having money make you love me any more or less than you did before?"

"Of course not! It's just that we're getting married, there aren't supposed to be secrets between us and not telling me you have that kind of money qualifies as a secret."

Harm just looked over at her for a second, seeing the stern look etched across her face. He knew that she was right, but he just hadn't thought to tell her. It wasn't like it was a secret account that he had to keep money from her. Part of the problem was that he just wasn't used to thinking about that money, because he'd only gotten it recently. That thought triggered another, this time a silent thank-you to Frank and his mom. Not telling him about the money was almost as good of a gift as the money itself. Harm had spent so long living off his pay that he'd gotten used to a certain lifestyle and now that he suddenly had money, he was so set into that lifestyle that the money wasn't really affecting him.

"You're right, Beth. I'm sorry, I should have said something," Harm told her.

"You're forgiven, darling," Beth replied, reaching over to caress his cheek.

For her part, Mattie closed her eyes and laid her head back. There were certain things that she just didn't want to see and Harm and Beth getting lovey dovey was one of them. Still, she knew things wouldn't go too far as long as the car was moving, a smile crossing her face as she began to nap.


	21. Chapter 21

December 19, 2003

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

1728 Eastern

The week had flown by, while Harm had been clearing out his office at JAG Headquarters and wrapping up his cases. Mostly, they were the remaining backlog from when he had returned to duty. Today had been his last day, with the next two weeks being leave time during which he would get everything ready for the transfer to London. Mattie's school started its winter break next week as well, so she would be around to help. As for leaving Virginia to move to England, the teen wasn't really saying much about that. Harm had found a number of sites that the military maintained to introduce newly arriving personnel to the area. He had also told her about the travel opportunities they would have, even visiting other countries on tours.

Beth had spoken to her detailer in BUPERS about the upcoming marriage and requested spousal colocation. She was going to be taking a posting in the US Embassy in London as part of the Office of Defense Cooperation. The only problem was the fact that she'd just be posted to the Academy, which meant that a mid-year replacement had had to be found quickly. She just had the final exams left to grade and then post the semester's final grades. After that, it would be taking care of the wedding and packing for the move.

Harm had looked into the housing situation facing them when they got to London and wasn't overly enthused by the prospects. Their first choice was to stay in housing allotted to military personnel assigned to England. The houses had looked fine in the brochures he'd been given, but they were all an hour or more away from his office and the Embassy. The other side of things was renting something nearer to the embassy and applying for the housing allowance.

To this end, he'd contacted an agent in London to get a list of what was possible. The results now occupied the desk in his home office and were shocking, even by Washington standards. Not knowing the area and what were the better parts of London meant that he was going by appearance and price, assuming that the higher priced areas would be in the better sections of town. So, Harm now had a dozen possible apartments and houses from which to choose. All very nice, all very expensive. He'd sorted through them, stacking the pages in the order of his preference. When Beth came for the weekend, he'd show them to her and have her give her opinion.

The sound of the doorbell pulled Harm from the papers, for which he was extremely thankful. However, he was also curious as to who was at the door. Standing up, he left the office and walked down the hall. Going down the stairs, he saw that Mattie had already answered the door. However, from his position, he was unable to see who was outside. It was clear, though, that Mattie didn't know who it was either.

"Is Harm at home?" came a woman's voice that instantly brought a smile to Harm's face and caused him to hurry down the last steps.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Harm asked as he moved past Mattie.

"Well, I thought that Elizabeth could use some help with the wedding preparations, darling. So, we came out a few days early," Trish Burnett told him as she hugged her son.

"We? You mean Frank's here too?"

"Of course I am," Frank said as he came up the walk. "We even made a stop on the way here and picked up someone else, as well."

Harm was stunned as he watched an older woman with long, white hair walk towards him aided by a cane. He moved past his mother and Frank to sweep her into a breathtaking hug, lifting her off the ground. The others could only watch in amusement as she struck at him with the cane, playfully demanding to be let down.

"Harmon Rabb, don't let your wife-to-be see you carrying on like that or she'll think you're one of those sailors with a girl in every port," Sarah Rabb said with a grin.

"You're the only other woman for me," Harm told her with a smile. "I've missed you, Grandma."

"Huh, not too much, considering it's only a few hours from here to Belleville and you rarely come for a visit."

"Well, you see more of him than I do, Sarah," Trish told her.

"I would think so, given the distances. Maybe now that you're getting married, we can talk your better half into making you come and visit your family," Sarah said, looking over at Harm.

"Yes, Ma'am," was all Harm could say as he led his family into the house. Mattie had been standing by the hallway watching and was now nervously awaiting meeting Harm's family. Seeing her and the look on her face, Trish made straight for the teen.

"You must be Mattie," Trish said as she approached. Mattie brought her hand up to give the woman she knew was Harm's mother, only to see the hand ignored.

"No, dear. In this family, we don't do handshakes. We hug one another, especially when we're welcoming a new member to the family."

Mattie's eyes lit up on hearing that and she stepped into the embrace. A moment later, she felt another pair of arms wrap around her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Harm's Grandma Sarah had joined them. Mattie moved one of her arms from around Trish to pull Sarah into the hug. None of the women saw the smiles that were on Harm and Frank's faces.

Eventually, the women pulled apart but only so that they could move to the living room. Here, Trish and Sarah took the couch, with Mattie sandwiched between them. Harm and Frank each sat down in a chair.

"So, Harm, how are things coming for the wedding?" Trish asked.

"The ceremony is well in hand. I spoke with Chaplain Turner on Tuesday and he said he would do the ceremony. Bud and I have our dress whites cleaned and pressed, waiting in the master bedroom here. You'll have to ask Beth about her dress and Mattie's, because she's told me I don't have a need to know," Harm said.

"And the reception or were you doing something here?" Frank asked.

"I was thinking here, just a simple dinner for the family."

Frank and Trish exchanged a glance, which Harm easily caught and interrupted as disagreement.

"What are you two planning?" Harm asked.

"Well, I talked to someone and found out that the Willard has an available room that they use for smaller wedding parties. So, your mother and I reserved it for Christmas Eve," Frank said.

"Frank, I can't ask you to do that."

"Harm, you didn't ask. Your mother and I did it because we wanted to. Besides, I don't think I've seen your mother happier than she's been since you said you were going married. We've also reserved a couple of suites for Christmas Eve and Christmas day, in addition to the one we took for our visit."

"Frank…"

"Harm, stop arguing and just say thank you," Beth said from the entryway to the living room, where she had been silently standing for the last minute or so.

Harm got out of his chair and wrapped Beth into a warm embrace while sharing a tender kiss, drawing smiles from his mother and grandmother. They could both see the genuine happiness on Harm's face as he held this woman and the look of love in her eyes for him. Both women silently approved the pairing. When they finally separated, Harm led Beth over to the couch.

"Mom, Grandma. I want you both to meet Elizabeth Hawkes. Beth, this is my mother, Patricia Burnett, and my grandmother, Sarah Rabb."

"I'm very pleased to finally meet you, Beth," Trish told the younger woman as she stood up and folded her into an embrace.

"I'm pleased to meet you too, Ma'am," Beth replied.

"What did I tell you about that, Beth? It's not Ma'am, it's either Trish or Mom."

"And that goes for me too, Beth," Grandma Sarah put in. "You'll call me what Harm does and that's Grandma, understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Beth said, an impish grin crossing her face, one seen by both Trish and Sarah.

"I can see what drew Harm to you, dear," Sarah said, "but don't you think a pretty young woman like yourself couldn't have found someone better than my grandson?"

"Sarah's right, Beth. I mean, I love him, but that man is never on time. He rarely calls and hardly ever visits, even when he's less than an hour away."

"All that may be true, Trish," Beth replied, noticing the teasing twinkle in the other women's eyes, "but I happen to love this man too much to go looking for something better. More importantly, he loves me more than I ever hoped anyone would."

"Loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done," Harm told her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. The women in the room all melted slightly at the words, shocked to some degree to hear them from Harm's mouth. Both Trish and Sarah had, to a certain degree, resigned themselves to Harm being the last of the Rabbs. They both believed that the death of his father coupled with the death of Diane had combined to prevent Harm from being able to express love, certainly on the level needed for a marriage. They both thanked heaven for whatever magic Beth had worked on him that had gotten this result, little knowing that Beth was the thankful one. She treasured the fact that she was the one blessed to have won this man's love.

After a few moments, Frank mentioned dinner, causing an embarrassed look to cross Harm's face. He had been supposed to have been cooking by the time Beth had arrived, but the events of the evening had changed those plans. Fortunately, Frank also suggested that the whole family go out to dinner. With Harm knowing the area, the choice was left up to him. So, taking into account the tastes of those present, he led them to an Italian restaurant.

The remainder of the evening was spent with Harm's family getting to know Beth and Mattie. When they heard that Beth still hadn't chosen her wedding dress, Trish and Sarah insisted on taking her and Mattie shopping tomorrow. Frank and Harm were firmly told that their presence was not desired, which brought a laugh as a relieved look crossed both men's faces. After returning to the house, Harm suggested that Frank, his mother and Grandma stay there rather than at the hotel. The guest rooms were quickly allocated. Sarah would have the room downstairs, while Frank and Trish took the spare room upstairs.

Mattie managed to provide an amusing moment when she asked innocently (or not so innocently) where Beth was going to stay if both guest rooms were full. Harm and Beth both blushed as they stared at the teen, which drew a chuckle for the other adults. None of them assumed that Beth and Harm weren't sharing a bed, it being 2003 rather than 1963 and the pair were due to be married in less than a week. Mattie did have the good grace to look shamed as she saw the blushing Harm and Beth, before racing off to her bedroom. Harm and Frank went out to the car to collect the luggage and bring it into the house, before everyone retired for the night.

Somewhere over the Pacific, En Route to Hawaii

2128 Eastern/1628 Hawaiian

Mac sat in the business class section of the aircraft, having decided to spend a little extra to upgrade her seat. More than ten hours in the air was going to be bad enough without being cramped and caged in a too small seat, probably stuck next to some guy trying to pick her up. Instead, she'd gotten a reasonably comfortable seat next to a businessman who was settled into the seat next to her, going through some paperwork he'd brought aboard. Even dinner had barely disturbed the man, serving to give Mac the time to think that she both wanted and dreaded.

What was wrong with her? She felt like her emotions had been thrown into a blender set on high, before being set to boil. Everything just kept bubbling up, from rage to terror to pity and worthlessness. Take her reaction to Harm at Clay's showing. The slap had come out of nowhere, as had the anger and hatred she'd felt for the man. Yet, watching his car drive away had left her in tears.

And why was it that every time she and Harm had gotten close and he had been available, why had she pushed him away? Looking back, she could easily see how she had misread the situation in Sydney, finally understanding that he wasn't rejecting her but simply asking for time to find his place again. In the moment though, all she took it for was rejection, an unwillingness to commit. So, when Mic had been willing, she'd taken his ring.

The big one, though, had to be Paraguay. Harm had given up everything to find her, to save her. In spite of that, she'd pushed him away again, telling him that there would never be an "us" and that a relationship would be impossible for them. She'd chosen to go to Clay, a man that was about as opposite as possible from Harmon Rabb. Clay's world was a world of secrets and deception, need to know and unexplained absences. Harm's was one of duty and loyalty, the search for the truth no matter what that might be and promises made that were kept.

A shocking realization came to Mac in that moment, a realization that might explain a lot. In her mind, Harm was the knight in shining armor, pure and noble. When he committed to something, the cause was worthy and just. His search for his father, helping Dar-Lin and finding Annie's murderer, watching out for the wives and families of friends who'd lost their lives. And a secret part of Mac knew she wasn't worthy of such a man, that her past in many ways condemned her. She was responsible for the death of her friend when she'd been a teenager, she was responsible for the death of her husband, and in her mind she was even responsible for the death of Dalton.

Looking at things with a startling clarity, she now saw why she'd pushed Harm away. He was too good for her, he deserved someone better than Sarah MacKenzie. Yet, there was that part of her that desperately wanted to be worthy of his love and that got jealous of the other women in his life, like Annie, Jordan, Renee and even Skates. That feeling of unworthiness was what drove her to push Harm away and why she was with men like Dalton, Mic and Clay. None of them were bad men, per se, just flawed men and that's all she felt she deserved.

Laying her head back in her seat, she didn't notice the man next to her taking in the closing of her eyes. He had been fascinated with the beautiful woman since the moment she'd sat down. The pair had spoken very briefly when the flight was boarding, simply the polite small talk that fellow travelers exchanged before a long flight. Somehow, he'd sensed something wasn't right with her, a certain sadness in her eyes that seemed to come and go, as if willed away.

Something in the way she spoke also hinted at a desire to be left alone, so he'd buried himself in paperwork. Only, he'd slowly come to realize, he wasn't doing a good job of it, as he seemed to keep losing his place and ended up rereading entire paragraphs that he'd already read. His eyes kept being drawn over to her, studying her face, her eyes and her hands. Observation was something he excelled at, as he noticed the bagginess under her eyes, the red lips that matched her finger nails and the light tan of her skin that went so well with the chocolate color of her hair. No rings were evident, yet there was evidence that one had recently been removed, which may explain her sadness.

Yet, he'd been involved in enough relationship to know when not to pry and the woman may as well have been wearing a sign that said "Leave Me the Hell Alone". So, he just sat there and observed, a little more openly now that she appeared to be asleep but still instantly ready to turn his attention back to the papers in front of him if necessary. Besides, the flight was due to land in a couple of hours and he'd probably never see her again.


	22. Chapter 22

December 20, 2003

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

0728 Eastern

Mattie came downstairs, figuring on another silent kitchen. Harm was a late riser on the weekends and the teen didn't expect anything different today. She also knew that his mom and stepdad had flown in from California, so their bodies probably thought it was even earlier than 7:30. What the teen wasn't prepared for was Harm's Grandmother, who was busily working away at the stove as Mattie entered the room.

"Good morning, Mattie," Sarah said from the stove. "Eggs and hash browns sound good?"

"Yes, Mrs. Rabb," Mattie replied.

"Mattie, you heard what I told Beth last night about calling me Grandma. That goes for you too."

Seeing the uncertainty in the teenager's face, Sarah turned down the heat on the stove and pulled the skillets over to unused burners. That done, she went over to Mattie and directed the young woman to a chair before taking the one next to her.

"Mattie, is something wrong, dear?" Sarah asked.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable calling you Grandma, Mrs. Rabb. I mean, I'm not really your great-grandchild," Mattie told her, staring down at her hands.

"In what way aren't you my great-granddaughter? Isn't there a legal document that says Harmon Rabb is your father and you are his daughter? You're a Rabb, by God, and that makes you family. But even more, adoption is something special, child."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, just think about it for a moment. When a child is adopted, it's because the family wants that child. From the little I've heard, my grandson could have just gotten guardianship of you until you were 18, then cut you loose and left you to find your own way. Instead, he chose to adopt you, which means he wants you in his life and so do the rest of us."

"How can you say that?" Mattie asked. "You don't even know me."

"I'd like to try and know you, Mattie. For now, I'm trusting in my grandson. I know that boy well enough to know he wouldn't have adopted you unless there was something special about you, something that made him love you," Sarah Rabb told her before standing up to return to the stove. "Heaven knows that he doesn't give his love easily, which makes winning it all the more precious."

The older woman fixed plates of eggs and hash browns for herself and Mattie, carrying them over to the table as Harm and Beth came downstairs. Harm quickly stepped up to take the plates from his grandmother, who went back to the stove to make more. He placed a plate before Mattie and one in front of Beth, then went to the refrigerator to get drinks out. He and Beth had glasses of tomato juice while Mattie helped herself to a cup of coffee from the brewing pot on the counter.

Everyone was just finishing up when Trish and Frank finally came down, drawn by the smell of frying eggs. Harm, Beth and Mattie quickly moved away so that the Burnetts could sit down, as Sarah went back to work at the stove. Once breakfast was done, the family gathered to discuss the plan for the day. The women would be going shopping, while Harm and Frank did whatever during the afternoon. They would all meet back at the house in the evening for dinner followed by a movie on the television.

Firstly, though, everyone needed to shower and get ready, so it was off to the various bathrooms. The number of people put the hot water tank to the test, which it fortunately passed as a cold shower in December isn't a pleasant experience. It was almost two hours later when everyone was ready to leave, only to be stopped by a knock on the door. Beth happened to be closest, so she was the one who opened the door and proceeded to scream with joy as she saw who was there.

Harm had been standing right behind her and quickly realized what he was seeing. Beth hand her arms wrapped around the neck of an older man and was kissing his cheek, while an older woman stood behind them with an indulgent smile on her face. Looking from Beth to the woman, it was easy to see that was Beth's mother, the resemblance was remarkable. He felt like he was seeing what Beth could look like in twenty years or so and he liked what that could be.

Beth finally stepped back from her father, tears in her eyes. Her father gently brushed the few that spotted her cheeks away, smiling at his only child. The glow on her face filled his heart, as did the sight of the tall man who came up and gently wrapped an arm around her, which served to draw Beth's face away from his to the face of her fiancé then back down.

"Daddy, I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Captain Harmon Rabb. Harm, this is my father, John Hawkes."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hawkes," Harm said as he extended his hand.

Jack Hawkes smiled as he gripped the man's hand and squeezed. A lifetime of working outdoors had given the man an impressive grip and a means to measure other men. He believed that a man should have a firm grip and despised weakness and limp handshakes. A smile crossed his face as he noticed Harm didn't flinch from the strong grip, but just naturally returned it. 'Yes,' he thought, 'this man will do.' Jack had never said anything to either his daughter or his wife, but he had not liked Beth's previous fiancé and hadn't been surprised when that relationship had ended. The man had had a weak handshake and that was all Jack Hawkes had needed to believe the man was weak too.

"It's good to meet you too, Captain," Jack finally replied. "Call me Jack."

"Only if you call me Harm, Jack."

"This is my wife, Katherine. Everyone just calls her Kate," Jack told Harm as Beth's mother stepped up, arms opened to hug him.

"I've very pleased to me you, Kate."

As Kate hugged him to her, she whispered into Harm's ear. "Thank you, Harm. Beth's been so happy since you asked her to marry you."

"She can't be any happier than I was when she said yes," Harm whispered back, drawing a pleased chuckle from the woman and a mock-stern glare from Jack.

"What exactly are you whispering to my wife, Captain?"

"He was asking if Beth would be as pretty as me when she got older and I told him that she would as long as he took good care of her," Kate said with an impish grin that was a mirror of Beth's.

"Oh, he'll take good care of her, if he knows what's good for him," Jack mock threatened, drawing laughs from Beth.

"Dad, you can stop the act now. You're not going to frighten Harm anyway," Beth said.

Jack just smiled at his daughter, keeping from laughing by an effort of will. His daughter just knew him too well. Besides, he had no real intention of scaring Harm away, not after seeing the look on his daughter's face whenever she looked at Harm.

Seeing her father smile while remaining silent, Beth took the opportunity to introduce her mother to Harm's family. The women all exchanged brief hugs, seeming to sense an instant connection. No words were really needed before Kate was pulled into the group heading for shopping while Jack was left in the company of Harm and Frank. The women ended up having to take Harm's Lexus so that they could all fit into one car. The men watched them leave before going back into the house, taking some beers from the refrigerator and settling in to watch football on the television.

Sheraton Waikiki Hotel – Honolulu, Hawaii

1259 Eastern/0759 Hawaiian

Mac strolled out of the hotel, dressed for a day at the beach. She'd selected a lime green bikini with matching wrap and carried a large beach bag with suntan lotion, a book to read and a towel in case she felt like taking a swim. The sunny weather and white, sandy beaches immediately had a positive effect on her disposition. As she walked, the problems and cares melted from her, so that by the time she found a lounge chair and settled in Mac was in vacation mode.

Laying her towel over the chair, she lathered on the lotion before laying down and picking up her book. It was a new one that she'd bought in the hotel gift shop last night on a whim. She opened it to where she had left off last night and began to read. It was almost an hour later when she turned over and worked on the tan on her back, surprised by how absorbed in the book she was. Her usual reading selections were non-fiction books on paleontology and the law. Historical fiction wasn't normally something she was interested in, but the author had such an eye for details and an engaging way of telling the story.

Mac marked her place and then turned the book over in her hands. She started with the back cover, then checked the inside flaps of the cover. She was curious about the author, but the only information on the book was a very brief paragraph on the back flip that really told her nothing. Looking inside the book, she found a handful of other titles listed under this one on the first page. She smiled, thinking maybe those would be as good as this one was and mentally reminded herself to get them too.

A slight shadow passed over her as the sun was suddenly blocked. Turning her head, Mac's heart jumped as she saw a man standing there. She had been so absorbed that she hadn't heard anyone approach.

"Excuse me, Miss. Is this chair taken?" the gentleman asked, pointing to the lounger next to her.

"No," Mac said flatly. She wasn't here looking for company and she certainly wasn't interested in some guy on the beach trying to pick her up.

"Do you mind if I leave my things there while I go for a swim?"

"That's fine. I may not be here when you come back, though."

"Not a problem," the man said as he quickly peeled off his shirt and shorts, unconsciously giving Mac a show that had her heart fluttering. The sculpted, athletic body was that of a professional athlete as were the graceful movements, she thought. He was soon wearing only a speedo and a set of goggles, before making a run to the water. Mac watched as he effortlessly broke the waves and headed out to sea, soon becoming only a dot on the water before disappearing from her view.

She turned back to the book and was soon once again lost in the story. She managed to complete a third of the remaining book before she noticed that he was walking towards the chairs, a contented smile spread across his face. Going to his lounger, he grabbed his towel and briskly ran it over his body. As he did so, his face was in profile to Mac and her eyes widened as she realized it was the man who had sat next to her on the flight.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her reaction. He had reached the same realization when he'd first seen her and wondered when she would ultimately make the connection.

"So, we seem to be seatmates once again, Miss," he said with a chuckle.

"I'm beginning to suspect you're following me," Mac replied.

"Well, I'll admit we are on an island, but I'd have to be better than Sherlock Holmes to have known you'd be sunbathing on this particular part of this specific beach at this time in the morning."

Mac had to laugh at that, as the absurdity of her insinuation took root.

"Besides, I've been coming to this beach almost daily since I moved to Hawaii," he added.

"You're not just another tourist, here for the warm sun and beautiful scenery?" Mac asked.

A look crossed the man's face, one that spoke of a deep inner sadness, before he answered her question. Mac was now starting to pay more attention to the man seated next to her, suddenly very interested in who he was.

"No, I came here to get away for a while and just never left," he told her. "Although, the scenery is very beautiful," he added, looking her in the eyes.

"Flatterer," Mac said, with a grin to take any sting out of the words.

"I'll freely admit that, Miss, if you'll tell me you name. It just feels awkward calling you Miss all the time."

"I'm Sarah MacKenzie, but my friends call me Mac."

"Mac? Why in the world would anyone call a beautiful woman like you by such an unattractive name?" the man asked.

"Well, I'm a Marine," Mac said, not really answering the question.

"Do you mind if I call you Sarah, instead?"

"No."

"Well, Sarah. I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Andrew Anderson, but everyone just calls me Andy," the man said.

"And what do you do Andy, when you're not stalking the beaches looking for women to flatter?"

"I am that famous man of leisure these days, Sarah."

"Oh, you mean you're unemployed?" Mac asked with a wide smile, her teasing tone catching them both by surprise.

"I guess you could say that, but by choice," he replied, still laughing for a moment or two. "No, I'm retired now."

"You're far too young to be retired," she protested.

"Sometimes it's not about the years," he simply said before falling silent, his eyes once again showing a sadness that hit Mac's heart like a sledgehammer. After a couple of moments, he noticed her eyes on him and seeing the look in her eyes, he desperately shoved the memories back into the box and plastered a smile on his face. "Besides, how old do you think I am, Sarah?"

Mac gave him a long appraisal before cautiously venturing her guess. "I'd say 35."

Andy laughed brightly at that, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Not even close. I turned 50 last month."

"You certainly don't look it, Andy."

"And now who's flattering whom, Sarah? Although I'll admit the grays in my hair are well hidden by the blonde," he said as he stood up and began gathering his few things together.

Mac watched him as he moved, disappointed that he was obviously leaving. She had begun to enjoy talking with him, once it became clear he wasn't trying to pick her up or something. Now, though, she found herself slightly disappointed that he hadn't tried. So, she resolved to make the first move.

"Would you have dinner with me tonight, Andy?" Mac asked tentatively.

Andy paused as he was pulling his shirt on, surprised by the invitation. Working the shirt over his head, he turned to face her.

"That sounds very nice, Sarah. How about the Beachhouse at the Moana? They've got steaks, seafood and chicken and it's just a couple of resorts over from here, so you can walk over and meet me there. Say 6ish?"

"I'll see you then, Andy."

Andy flashed her a smile as he wrapped the towel around his neck and left. A few minutes later, Mac decided to pack up and go back inside. She planned on a light lunch, followed by a run before getting ready for the evening. A little voice in the back of her head kept insisting that it was too soon to be thinking about a possible date, that Clay had barely been gone a week and that she needed time. But a larger part of her was feeling the start of something, a faint flicker of hope. She planned to carefully nurture that flicker until it could become a fire.

That flicker might have dimmed if she could have seen Andy at that moment. He had made it back to his car by a force of will, getting behind the wheel before locking the doors and breaking down. His sobs came in waves as the memories finally escaped their box and forced their way to the forefront of his mind. He didn't know where his acceptance of Sarah's invitation had come from. Ever since moving to Hawaii, he'd gone out of his way to avoid making friends.

He lived in a walled estate, where his nearest neighbors were almost a mile away in either direction. His journeys into town were to the beach for his daily exercise and to the grocery store once a week, to resupply. His trip back east was the first such since he'd left there and he'd only gone because it was business that he couldn't conduct over the internet. The only two people he saw on a regular basis were the gardener and his housekeeper, Moira. Andy, for the life of him, still couldn't explain why he'd stopped at that chair. There were several closer to the ocean that had been vacant, he hadn't had to take that chair. So why had he?

'Because it is long past time for you to stop morning us, Andrew,' came a whispered voice from his memories. 'Life is for living and it's time you started again.'


	23. Chapter 23

The Beachhouse at the Moana – Honolulu, Hawaii

2255 Eastern/1755 Hawaiian

Mac walked into the restaurant dressed in a lightweight sun dress and sandals, a clutch purse gripped in her hand. She was pleased to see that she wasn't the only person who'd opted for the outfit, as she made her way to the hostess stand. However, before she got there she saw Andy standing off to one side and turned to join him. She warmed slightly as his eyes took her in and a smile graced his face. In her turn, Mac examined him as well, noting the white linen jacket with powder blue shirt underneath and the linen slacks with deck shoes.

"I'm very glad you came," Mac said with a smile.

"I am too," was his reply as the hostess came over to tell him the table was ready.

Walking through the restaurant, they were led to a table by the window. As soon as they were seated, a waitress came over to take drink orders. Mac was slightly surprised when he asked for mineral water, while she selected a diet soda. Picking up the menu, she got her second surprise as she inwardly winced at the prices and resolved that this would be the only time she ate here.

"Is something wrong, Sarah?" Andy asked, although he suspected the reason.

"It's just the prices. They're a little more expensive that I had thought."

"Don't worry about it. Tonight's my treat."

"Isn't the person who made the invitation supposed to be the one to pay?" Mac asked, a hint of tease in her voice.

"Yes and that's why I'm paying, Sarah. You issued the invitation, but I was the one who chose the restaurant. Therefore, I was expecting to pay," Andy told her in a quiet, reasonable voice. "Next time, we'll go somewhere that's more in line with a Marine's budget, whatever that might be."

By this point, the waitress was back at the table with their drinks. Andy already knew what he wanted, so he looked over at Mac. Catching the undecided look on her face, he made a decision.

"How about I order for both of us?"

"Yes, please," Mac said, still slightly daunted by the prices and not wanting to go too far.

"We'll each start with shrimp cocktails followed by an iceberg salad. Then, I will have the 20 ounce rib-eye, medium rare, with a baked potato and she will have the 12 ounce New York strip, medium, with a baked potato. Thank you," Andy told the waitress, picking up Mac's menu and handing them both over.

Looking up, he saw the look on her face. Mac had been glancing at the menu while he ordered and quickly reached over a hundred dollars for the meal. This was too much, too generous.

"Andy, really. I can't let you pay for all this," Mac said.

"You most certainly can. It's been a long time since I've been in such pleasant company," he replied, a vaguely sad look to his eyes, despite the smile on his face. Mac wondered what the cause of that sadness was, as well as why someone only 50 would have retired and come to Hawaii.

"Alright, I'll stop pressing about the dinner if you'll tell me about yourself."

"What would you like to know?"

"Everything," Mac said with a grin, drawing a light laugh from Andy. "We can start with the basics, if you'd like. Where you're from, what did you do for a living and work from there."

"Well, I was born November 25, 1953 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. My dad was a professor at the University of Michigan while my mother stayed at home with me and my two sisters. Growing up, I played the typical sports, football, baseball and basketball. It wasn't until I got to high school that I started running and I've been hooked ever since. I went to Michigan for my degree because my dad taught there and we got a discount, majored in economics, then on to Harvard for my master's in business administration."

"I got a job in Boston, working for an investment firm and rather quickly made a name for myself. I was making a lot of money for my clients and for myself, but I was also putting in a lot of time at work to achieve those results. When I left, I was a vice president making millions, with twenty-some people reporting to me and controlling assets worth billions," Andy said as the waitress approached with their shrimp cocktails.

"Sounds like you were at the top of your game, Andy. Why did you leave?"

Andy just sat silent for a several moments, his eyes fixed on his hands, while he gathered his thoughts and decided how much to tell this woman he hardly knew. It felt like reopening the wound every time he talked about it, the agony flaring anew and threatening to sweep him down a dark path. Yet, he knew instinctively that he needed to tell her at some point.

Mac's curiosity was growing by the moment. She sensed that she had unknowingly touched a very sensitive subject for Andy, but wasn't sure why. Looking at his posture, she noticed the tension radiating from him like waves. Then, there came a relaxation to his body.

"I'll leave that until after dinner. I'd like to enjoy the meal," was his response. "So, why don't you tell me about you, Sarah?"

"Well, I was born April 4, 1966 in Yuma, Arizona. My father was an abusive alcoholic and my mother abandoned me when I was 15. Somehow, I made it through high school, even though I was drinking a lot. The night of my graduation, a friend and I were drinking and driving when we got into a crash and he was killed. After that, my uncle came and found me, getting me to dry out and join the Marines. I went to college and got a commission, then got my law degree a few years later. Now, I'm the new Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the USMARFORCPAC."

"That last sounded impressive, even if I'm not sure what it means."

"Oh, sorry," Mac said with a laugh. "The Deputy Staff Judge Advocate is a lawyer who advises the command personnel on legal issues, ranging for the rules of engagement to preparing wills. If a military member or their family needs a lawyer, they see a judge advocate. USMARFORPAC is the Marine Forces in the Pacific, everything from California to Japan."

"So, I assume that you just arrived?" Andy asked.

"Yes, I came out early, so that I could find somewhere to live and have a little vacation."

"Where will you be working?"

"Camp H.M. Smith near Aiea," she said, watching him nod.

"If you want, I'd be happy to help you look for somewhere to live, Sarah," Andy offered.

"Thank you, Andy. I'd like that."

"Sounds like a plan. Do you have an idea about what you're looking for?"

The waitress arrived then to replace the shrimp cocktails with the salads. Both of them were surprised to discover that they'd managed to eat the appetizer without noticing, evidently just unconsciously reaching for a bite when the other was speaking. With the salads, they both silently worked their way through them quickly, knowing the main course would be coming relatively soon. When she was finished, Mac picked up where they had left off, drawing a smile from Andy.

"I was thinking an apartment, maybe two bedrooms. Something small and fairly close to the base, so it would be convenient."

"Why don't you get some listings and we'll cruise around tomorrow. That way, you can get a lay of the land and narrow down the areas you would want to live in from those you definitely wouldn't. Then, we can match the listings with your preferred locations," Andy said. "Besides, I'll bet you don't have a car, do you?"

"Mine's being shipped from Washington and won't be here until the end of the month, along with the rest of my belongings," Mac told him.

"Then it's a good thing we meet, otherwise you'd be trapped here or forced to rent a car."

Andy's smile was contagious and Mac found she was enjoying the ease with which they were connecting. It felt more like they were longtime friends than two people who had just met. She remembered when she first met Harm and how guarded she'd been with him, yet with Andy it felt almost natural to tell him anything.

It felt like only a moment had passed, but the waitress was already back with the main course. She waited patiently while both Andy and Mac checked their steaks, indicating that they were cooked to their liking, then left them alone again. Mac cut a piece off and chewed it with relish.

"How did you know I wanted my steak medium?" she asked a moment later.

"Well, I thought if you wanted it cooked differently you'd interrupt and it's the middle of the range, so even if you didn't say something, I thought I'd be safe. My wife always…" was where he abruptly stopped, as the sadness burst forth once again. It was all he could do to contain the sob that threatened.

Mac watched silently, as a piece of the puzzle fell into place. Something had obviously happened to Andy's wife, judging from his reaction to the thought of her. What that something was, she didn't know, but it explained the sadness that something came to his eyes. A part of her wanted to take his hand, tell him she knew what it was like to lose someone, yet she was vaguely worried what his reaction would be to that.

A silence settled over them, as Andy began slowly picking at his food, eventually managing to eat everything although it was clear he hadn't especially enjoyed the meal. For her part, Mac had hungrily eaten everything. When the waitress came to ask if either of them wanted dessert, Mac answered negatively for both of them. The waitress just smiled before removing their plates and returning a moment later with the check.

Andy barely glanced at the figures before removing some cash from a well-used wallet and dropping it on the table. He stood and extended his hand to Mac, who joined him. Together, they left the restaurant and walked out onto the walkway behind the resort. He knew that with everything he'd said tonight, he needed to talk with her. She deserved to know the whole story, to see who he truly was.

"Would you walk with me, Sarah?" Andy asked softly, indicating the beach. "You had a question at dinner I'd like to try and answer."

"That sounds fine, Andy."

When they reached the beach, Andy gently helped steady Mac as she removed her sandals and stockings. After putting her stocking in her purse, she held the sandals and purse with her left hand while her right hand joined Andy's. They walked that way for several minutes, just strolling down the beach while Andy sorted his thoughts and words.

"I met Caroline when I was at Harvard. I was finishing my MBA and she was starting her bachelor's in art history. Both of our families objected to the relationship, I was ten years older than her, her family came from old money while mine was middle-class. She was getting a degree not to get a job but to meet a potential husband, from the right background. It took four years to convince her parents. We got married in the summer of 1986, when I was 32 and she was 22. We had a happy marriage that was eventually blessed with twin daughters, Kelly and Karen."

"As time passed, I worked more and more to provide the best of everything for my family. Oh, I still made time for the important things, like birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. But vacations were often changed because things came up at work and I couldn't get away or they'd just go without me, which is what happened when Caroline and the girls decided to visit her sister in Los Angeles. The three of them took an early morning flight from Logan Airport bound for LAX on September 11, 2001," Andy told her, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Mac gently guided him to one of the lounge chairs, then moved a second chair over next to his before taking his hand in her. She still ached at the loss of Clay and part of the tears she was shedding were for him, but Clay had known the dangers and accepted them. Andy's family hadn't. Flying wasn't supposed to be particularly dangerous anymore and so the risks were mostly dormant, especially with regards to hijackings. That had ended, for the most part, in the 1980s and even back then, the goal was ransoms of money or prisoners. Nobody expected terrorists to turn airliners into makeshift missiles, using the planes fuel and mass as the weapons.

"The memorial service was a nightmare," Andy said softly after a few minutes. "Her family blamed me for their being gone, for me being alive. I blamed myself too, for not being with them, for putting money and the job over family. After the service, I went home to this empty house filled with memories and I broke down. A friend of Caroline's stopped by a week after the service, to check up on me, and found me watching old home movies while drinking. The house was littered with empty bottles of bourbon and scotch, I wasn't going in to work or calling, just watching those movies over and over. Our friends and family got me to see a doctor and after some therapy, I came to deal with the worst of it."

"I sold the house there, retired and moved here to escape the memories. I bought a place here where I could hide out, away from people while my heart tried to heal. You're the first person I've really talked to since they died who didn't know my family," Andy told Mac as he looked into her eyes.

"I'm honored that you chose me, Andy," Mac told him and she was, feeling special in a way she hadn't in a very long time, probably since the day Bud and Harriet asked her to be little AJ's godmother. And while Andy had said that she was beautiful, this feeling wasn't something based on that determination. It was more like an emotional connection, like two people finding each other in a foreign land. This, she hoped, could be the start of a beautiful friendship.


	24. Chapter 24

December 21, 2003

Sycamore Street – Falls Church, Virginia

0922 Eastern

Harm and Beth were sitting in the home office, going through the various real estate listings that he had collected for London. They had both gotten to bed late last night, after staying up with their combined families and watching a couple of movies. They had both been pleased to see their families getting along so well.

The shopping excursion yesterday had turned out well for the ladies, although it had taken longer than Beth had thought it would. Trish and Kate had kept convincing her to try on more and more dresses, watching her face carefully in the mirror before discarding or tentatively approving a dress. Three hours later, they were down to the finalists, as Mattie laughingly referred to them. Then came another time through, this time with the help of one of the shop's experts.

What Beth finally chose was an ivory tulle ball gown with cap sleeves and a short veil, which the ladies had insisted upon when Beth had said she wasn't sure. It was only when Trish and Kate had settled the veil in place that Beth understood. The dress was beautiful, but the veil is what said "Bride". The next step was a pair of shoes to go with the gown, along with some accessories. With the bridal gown selected, it was time to find Mattie her dress. The teen, knowing that it was important to Beth, didn't put up her usual fuss about wearing a dress. What was eventually picked was a floor length chiffon dress in a burgundy color, paired with some red flats.

After the bridal store, the ladies had taken the dresses out to the SUV and stowed them before continuing the shopping. Next was an excursion to Victoria's Secret, for something for the wedding night. Mattie had chosen to remain outside the store, joking about not needing to know about those type of things just yet. Grandma Sarah elected to keep Mattie company, so the pair had found a bench and spent their time doing people watching. From there, they moved on to a women's wear store so that Kate, Trish and Sarah could all get dresses for themselves, wanting something appropriate for the ceremony. The last shopping stop of the day had been to a jewelry store, where Trish had bought a pair of pearl teardrop earrings for Beth and a single strand of pearls for Mattie.

When the ladies had finally returned home, it was to find that Harm had dinner well underway. The two dresses were rushed upstairs while he was occupied and hidden in Mattie's closet, while the other dresses were kept by their owners. Kate moved hers to her rental car, rather than bringing it into the house.

Today, the families were off exploring Washington, so that the happy couple could plan the move to London. Mattie had elected to go with the Burnetts after being assured by Harm that he knew what she was hoping for in a new place to live. Beth and he had agreed on his "minimum requirements" of three bedrooms and two baths for the new place. She had also agreed that renting made more since than buying in this case, given the unlikelihood of their being reassigned to London or living there after they retired. Both of them viewed the house in Falls Church as their "home", one that they would probably retire to at the end of their careers.

So, Beth was now looking through the stack of listings that Harm had already approved of, while Harm was reexamining those that he had initially rejected. When she was finished with her short stack, she took the ones he had just gone through and looked them over. By the time they had each gone through every one of the listings, it was time for lunch. Harm went downstairs, while Beth straightened up the desk and reorganized the piles. There were now three listings that they had both agreed on, plus another five that at least one of them had liked.

Picking up those eight, she made her own way downstairs and joined Harm in the kitchen. Harm had decided to make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, along with some tomato soup and fruit salad. She smiled at him before going to the table and sitting down, to take another look at the listings before he brought the food over. She kept going back to one that she had liked, but that Harm had put aside. When he brought the food over, she slid it to him.

"What was it about this property that you didn't like?" Beth asked.

"Oh, the house is wonderful," Harm answered. "It's just the thought of spending my entire month's pay on a place to live that I'm not fond of."

"Alright, other than the price, was there anything else wrong with this one?"

"No. It's got everything that we need. There's four bedrooms, three baths and it's fairly close to the Embassy and your office. Even better, it's completely furnished, so we could move right in rather than waiting for our furniture to arrive."

"Well, what if we rented out the house here?" Beth asked, speculatively. "That would help lessen the impact of our renting a place in London. And, eventually, there'll be money coming from Grace Aviation…."

"No, that's Mattie's money. Any profit the business makes after paying the Admiral and providing him with operating funds, we'll put into a separate account for her," Harm said. "Anything else just feels wrong to me."

Beth just looked at him for a few moments. He was giving the business millions, yet wouldn't even consider using the profits for his own interests.

"So, the money you're 'loaning' the business? How exactly is that going to be paid back?"

"Once the business is on solid ground, then payments will be arranged. For right now, all I want the Admiral worrying about is collecting on those past due accounts and getting the new dusters bought and prepared for next year. As long as the company doesn't collapse, I'm not worried about getting my money out of it. Besides, if things look good, I plan on putting more money in for those charter planes."

"If you're not concerned about that money, then why are you worried about spending a little more to get the place we want to live in for the next two years?" Beth asked, then waited for the light to come on for Harm.

"Alright, if you're that set on this being our choice, then I'll call the agent on Monday and make the arrangements," Harm told her, which earned him a kiss on the cheek. "Did you just handle me, Beth?"

Beth, for her part, just sweetly smiled at him before taking a bite of her sandwich.

Sheraton Waikiki Hotel – Honolulu, Hawaii

1403 Eastern/ 0903 Hawaiian

Mac entered the lobby of the hotel, stepping out of the elevator with a smile on her face. She had almost forgotten about Andy's offer to take her around as she went looking for somewhere to live for the duration of her time in Hawaii. So, it was a pleasant surprise to have him call up on the house phone and ask if she was ready to leave. Fortunately, she'd already showered and dressed, so it was simply a matter of putting on a pair of comfortable shoes and grabbing her purse.

She spotted Andy first, since the chair he had chosen faced away from the elevators. Looking at him, it was hard to picture him as some wealthy investment advisor, even one who was retired. He was wearing a pair of wash-faded jeans, a polo shirt and tennis shoes without socks. A pair of sunglasses rested in the neck of his shirt, while a hat was pulled low over his eyes. For all the world, it looked like he was taking a short nap while he waited for her. As she approached, she saw that was exactly what he was doing, no doubt believing that she would need time to get ready. Deciding to have a little fun, Mac quietly went up to his chair and snatched the hat from his head, making Andy jump.

"What the hell," Andy almost shouted before seeing her laughing face in front of his.

"Did I wake up?" Mac asked innocently.

"You know damned well that you did."

"I could come back later, if you'd rather sleep."

Andy pushed himself from the chair and reached for his hat, which Mac pulled out of reach. He stepped closer, following the hat as she continually moved it away from him. It was only when he stopped reaching for it that she finally handed it over. He sighed softly before leading the way out of the hotel and on over to his waiting car, slipping the porter a couple of bills for allowing him to essentially park in the drop off area.

Mac's jaw dropped as she saw the car sitting there. The little two seat roadster was a shock, as were the seatbelt arrangements. It was almost like getting strapped into a fighter plane, what with the four point restraint system. Andy helped her into the car, before going around to the driver's side. In seconds, the deep rumble of a big engine was heard followed by the chirp of tires as he expertly accelerated away from the hotel.

It was a short journey out to Aiea, given that Andy made the most of the speedy little roadster. He darted in and out of traffic at will, occasionally drawing a blast from a driver's horn. Yet, never once did it appeared that he wasn't in complete control. The car was like an extension of himself and performed beautifully.

Now that they were in a more residential section, he slowed down and just cruised the streets. Mac had an excellent opportunity to look around, liking the looks of the area. The rest of the morning was spent driving from location to location, so that she could see some of the properties in the listings. And she thanked God that she had taken the time to see the properties, rather than simply going by what the agents had put in the ads.

Many of the properties looked more run down than the pictures had indicated, along with the fact that there were young children all over the place in the neighborhood where three of her possible listings had been. The children was running all over, making her wonder where the parents were. Of the others, the best were above the price range she'd set for herself. Turning her head towards Andy, her dissatisfaction was plainly evident on her face.

"How about we get some lunch, Sarah? Then we can look at some more properties, maybe a little further away?" Andy suggested.

"Andy, I'm sure you have other things to do today besides drive me around," Mac said, her eyes still on him as he pulled away from the curb outside that latest property.

"The only things I have to do are get up, eat and go back to sleep. Everything else are things I chose to do. Now, how about lunch?"

"As long as you let me buy."

"Sounds fair enough to me," Andy said as he started looking for restaurants.

They drove halfway back to Honolulu before Andy found what he was looking for. Pulling the car in, he carefully parked well away from the other cars before getting out and walking around the rear of the car. Reaching Mac's door, he bent down and helped her with the straps before holding the door open for her.

Mac exited the car and took a moment to run her fingers through her hair, drawing a laugh from Andy.

"Well, if somebody had warned me we'd be jetting around in an open cockpit rocket ship rather than driving in a sedan, maybe I could have found a hat or scarf for my hair," Mac said, fighting the grin that threatened to escape. The drive had been fun.

"Alright, Sarah. Next time, I'll bring the sedan," Andy said agreeably, having caught a hint of the humor in her voice.

Something in the way he said that warned Mac that he was up to something. Yet, before she could say anything else, he started walking toward the restaurant. Having no choice but to follow him, she found herself inside an Italian restaurant. A waitress led them to a table and passed over menus, pausing just long enough to get drink orders before moving to another table.

"So, what is that little rocket ship of yours, anyway?" Mac asked.

"It's a 1967 AC Cobra with a 427 cubic inch engine. I bought it at auction last year and had it shipped here, along with a few other cars."

"A few other cars?"

"Well, let's just say that buying classic cars is something of a weakness," Andy told her, a slight grin on his face. "I can't stop buying ones I like. Some people collect stamps, others collect baseball cars. I collect cars."

"Boys and their toys," Mac said with a smile.

"All too true, Sarah."

"So, how many cars do you have, Andy?"

The waitress returned with their drinks before he could answer, fortunately giving him a moment to think. While she was there, they both placed their lunch orders. Mac went with an order of chicken parmesan and Andy decided on having lasagna.

"Right now, I've got a dozen here. I'll probably stop at that, for the moment. I can't drive more than that and I'm not interested in having cars not to drive them. If I just wanted to buy cars because I can, I could easily have over one hundred cars in my collection. But to me, the cars belong on the road rather than in some warehouse collecting dust," Andy told her.

"If you could only have one of them, which car would it be?" Sarah asked.

"I don't really know. Each of them is special in its own way. Take the Cobra, that's my car for when I want to go fast. For an elegant night out, I'd take my midnight blue 1940 Packard Custom Super 180 Sedan Limousine. When I feel like reliving my college days, I've got a gray 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. For when I'm feeling funny, I've got a red 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS. You can't imagine the stares I get in that car, especially if I put on my Detroit Tigers hat and a Hawaiian shirt."

Sarah caught the gag easily, remembering the television show set in Hawaii with a Private Investigator who drove one of those cars and dressed like that. Looking over at Andy, she returned the grin that was spread across his face.

"Don't you have any normal cars? You know, something that you could take to the grocery store or down to the beach."

"Oh, I've got a couple of those. There's my 2003 Chevy Suburban 4x4 or my 2001 Lincoln Town Car." Andy said with a shrug.

Their lunches arrived then, putting a momentary stop to the conversation. The silence wasn't unpleasant, as each of them were finding that the more time they spent together, the more they enjoyed the other's company. Mac finished her lunch first, drawing a slight look of surprise from Andy. Even after yesterday, he was still amazed at the amount of food someone her size could put away.

When the bill eventually came, Mac quickly pulled her credit card out and handed it to the waitress who returned momentarily with the receipt for Mac to sign. Then, they were up and heading for the door, with Mac intent on looking at more properties while Andy was just content to enjoy the afternoon. It had been a long time since he'd been looking for somewhere to live while also having to worry about the associated costs. His estate had been purchased based on a handful of pictures and the description. If he hadn't liked it when he'd arrived, he'd have simply sold it and gone looking for something else.

Three hours later, Mac finally found what she was looking for. It was a nice little bungalow closer to Honolulu than the base, but in a fairly quiet neighborhood. It had two bedrooms and a nice bathroom, along with a living room, dining room and kitchen. The overall size of the house matched closely to her old apartment, so everything would fit well, and there was a garage for her Corvette. She could easily see this as her home for the next couple of years, while she got her personal life back on track.


	25. Chapter 25

December 24, 2003

Willard Hotel – Washington, DC

1642 Eastern

Harm stood at the front of the room, a smile stretching from ear to ear, waiting for the big moment. Chaplain Turner was standing a couple of paces to the right of Harm, while Bud stood immediately to the left of Harm. The room was more packed than Harm had planned and he was glad that Frank and his mother had rented this. It seemed that word had gotten around that he and Beth were getting married, which had served to bring a couple of dozen old friends out for the ceremony. Beth O'Neil and her girlfriend were there, as were Jack Keeter, Jennifer Coates, Sturgis Turner, Admiral Boone and several of Beth's colleagues from both the Academy and from her time with the Raptors. But most surprising for Harm was the presence of Colonel Creswell and his family.

A change in the music brought Harm back to the moment, as the doors are the back of the room opened, the assembled guests stood and Mattie walked in. She had a warm smile on her face as she came down the aisle. When she was halfway to the altar, Beth and her father entered the room. Harm felt like he was floating, as he took in the vision approaching. He'd often found Beth to be beautiful, but seeing her in that gown with the vail, he knew she'd never be more beautiful to him than at this moment.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God. It is therefore, not to be entered into unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly, and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these two persons come now to be joined. If there is any person who knows of any reason for these two to not so be joined, let them speak now or forever hold their peace," Chaplain Turner said, then waited a long moment before continuing.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"I do," Mr. Hawkes said.

"Harmon and Elizabeth, the covenant which you are about to make with each other is meant to be a beautiful and sacred expression of your love for each other. As you pledge your vows to each other, and as you commit your lives to each other, we ask that you do so in all seriousness, and yet with a deep sense of joy; with the deep conviction that you are committing yourselves to a dynamic growing relationship of trust, mutual support, and caring love."

"Harmon, repeat after me," Chaplain Turner said before beginning the vows.

"I, Harmon, take you Elizabeth, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part," Harm said, looking lovingly into Beth's eyes.

"Elizabeth, repeat after me."

"I, Elizabeth, take you Harmon, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part," Beth said in her turn, beaming with happiness.

Chaplain Turner turned to Bud and reached out his hand for the wedding rings, which he had seen Harm give the younger man just before they have all entered the room.

"The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, Harmon, you may place a ring on the finger of your bride."

"Elizabeth, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you."

"By the same token Elizabeth, you may place a ring on the finger of your groom."

"Harmon, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you."

"Now that Harmon and Elizabeth have given themselves to each other by the promises they have exchanged, I pronounce them to be husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen," Chaplain Turner said.

"Harmon, you may kiss your bride."

Harm, for his part, didn't need to be told twice. He tenderly reached for Beth and pulled her in for a sweet, loving kiss. They held the kiss for several seconds, but broke apart before Mattie could say anything or Chaplain Turner needed to cough to get their attention. Once they were standing next to each other came the final part of the ceremony.

"It is now my privilege to introduce to you for the first time, Captain Harmon Rabb Jr and Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Rabb," Chaplain Turner said as everyone stood and applauded.

With that, the happy couple walked down the aisle followed by Bud and Mattie. Upon reaching the back of the room, the stood by the door waiting as their guests began to make their way from the room. The first to reach them were Beth's parents.

"You take good care of our daughter, Harm," Kate said as she hugged him.

"I promise I will and Beth knows how I am about promises," Harm replied.

"You've never made one to me you haven't kept," Beth said. "That's why I love him, Mom."

Jack Hawkes couldn't say anything, as he just shook Harm's hand and kissed his daughter on the cheek. Words failed him at the moment, as he saw the love the newlyweds shared. They seemed the perfect match for each other, both more than willing to accept the other for who they were rather than who they wished them to be.

The next to reach the happy couple were Frank and Trish, who each happily hugged Harm before turning their affections onto Beth.

"Welcome to the family, Beth," Frank said as he gave her a hug and a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Frank," Beth said.

"You take good care of him, Beth," Trish put in.

"Always, Trish."

Once Grandma Sarah had made it through the receiving line, the rest of the guests came up to offer their best wishes. Jack Keeter ran true to form, planting a deep kiss on Beth that had Harm not so gently smacking his arm. Beth, who had heard all about Jack and his womanizing ways, had wanted to laugh at the look on Harm's face. She was a naval flight officer, she could handle an aviator with an ego problem. Heck, she'd served with plenty of them over the years.

When the last of the guests had exited, it was time for Harm and Beth to leave the room. A small reception was planned for immediately afterwards in a room down the hall. It was as they exited that the couple got their surprise, for an arch of swords had been set up. Bud and Creswell were at the head of the arch, joined by Keeter, Sturgis and a pair of pilots from the Raptors.

"Presenting, for the first time in public, Captain Harmon Rabb Junior and Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Rabb," Bud said in a deeper than normal voice.

Upon reaching the end of the arch, they were stopped by Bud and Creswell lowering their swords. Beth and Harm smiled at each other, knowing what was to come.

"The price to exit the arch is a kiss," Creswell told them.

Harm and Beth gave the required kiss, whereupon the swords were raised for them to pass. When they were through, Bud lowered his and gently swatted the flat of the sword against Beth's bottom.

"Go Navy," Bud said with a smile.

"I already have," Beth replied, drawing a short laugh from both Jack and Sturgis along with a smile from Creswell.

With that all done, it was time for the wedding photographs to be taken. Because of the small size of the wedding party, these were relatively easy to accomplish. The best one as far as Harm was concerned was the one with just him, Beth and Mattie. These were the two most important people in his life and this was a picture he planned to place prominently in his office. As for Beth, she liked that picture as well, but she also loved the one of her, her mother, Mattie, Trish and Grandma Sarah that the photographer had taken while the ladies had been waiting to enter. She knew that in those times ahead, when things were difficult, she'd have some amazing women to help guide her.

Going down the hall to the reception, Harm and Beth were seated at a table with both sets of parents. Mattie and Grandma Sarah were at the next table over, along with the Roberts family. The two boys were on their very best behavior, since Harriet had reminded them that tomorrow was Christmas and told them that Santa would really be watching them today. Mattie helped, by sitting next to little AJ and talking to him.

The meal was served buffet style, so that people could choose what they wanted. There was vegetarian lasagna along with ham and chicken for the non-vegetarians, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, wild rice and salads. Dessert would be the wedding cake, once Harm and Beth had cut it.

Once the meal was done, it was time for some dancing before people started drifting away. Harm and Beth danced to a nice slow song, just enjoying being in each other's arms. Then it was time for them to dance with the parents, followed by the rest of the guests being invited to take to the dance floor. Harm's first dance was with his grandmother, followed by Mattie and then Kate, while Beth danced with Frank, followed by Sturgis and Keeter. Harm laughed as he saw how much room there was between Jack and Beth, making the dance somewhat comical.

The next person to join Harm was Beth O'Neil, drawing a warm smile from him.

"Well, Captain, you seem to have made great strides since the last time I saw you," she said with a matching smile. She had come to view Harm as one of her few friends, someone who knew the real her rather than the front she'd been forced to maintain while still in the Navy.

"Thanks, Beth. I see you've brought a guest," Harm replied, looking over at the lovely younger woman seated at a table watching them.

"That's Debbie, my partner."

"It's nice to put a face to that. How's everything going, professionally?"

"I'm leaving, Harm. After she found out it was us in that C-130, Debbie got scared. She hid it for a few months before she finally broke down crying, telling me she was afraid of losing me," Beth said.

"Is it the flying that makes her afraid or was it the kind of flying?" Harm asked, worried for his friend if the answer was one he feared.

"No, she understands the flying. We've been together for a few years and she never had this amount of concern when I was flying P-3s in the Navy It's the level of danger involved with the flying I'm doing now."

Harm went silent for a moment, as an idea came to him. Looking around, he found who he was looking for and lead her across the dance floor over to where Admiral Boone sat with the Creswells and Chaplain Turner.

"Excuse me, please. I need to borrow the Admiral for a couple of minutes," Harm said.

The trio walked to the back of the room, where Harm made quick introductions between the two.

"I may have found you a pilot, Admiral," Harm said.

"Harm, if it's the Navy, I…."

"Relax, Beth. Admiral Boone is retired and is now running a small aviation company that I have an interest in. What are you currently rated in?"

"P-3s, C-130s and C-20s," Beth said.

"So, you could fly a Gulfstream 450?" Admiral Boone asked, seeing where Harm was headed. "Do you have a commercial pilot's license?"

"Yes, Sir. My current employer got it for me, based on my military experience."

"Well, how would you like to fly one? The pay definitely won't be what you're currently making, there's no health plan currently, but you'd probably be home most nights," Boone said.

Beth looked between the two men, wondering what this was all about. Harm, for his part, smiled encouragingly at his friend. He thought this could be a win-win situation. She would have a fairly safe flying job, one that would give her more time with her partner as well. Grace Aviation would win by getting an experienced pilot who could help jumpstart the charter flights for them.

"I'll have to talk it over with Debbie," Beth said.

"That's fine, Beth," Harm told her, letting her walk over to the table where her girlfriend sat.

"She's a lesbian, Harm?" Boone asked softly.

"Yes, she is."

Tom Boone wisely kept silent. He knew that many of his opinions about women were not politically correct, but he didn't care. He'd judge this one like he did all the rest. Either she could fly or she couldn't. If she could, he'd deal with the rest. If she couldn't, then he wouldn't have to deal with anything because she'd be gone.

For his part, Harm could guess at some of what Boone was thinking. He also knew that Beth O'Neil would pass any tests set out for her by the old man. Turning his attention to the table where she now sat with Debbie, he could see the moment that she'd told the woman about the offer. Debbie wrapped her arms around Beth and hugged her tightly. Then, they got up and made their way over to where Harm and the Admiral still stood.

"I'm in," Beth said, one hand linked with Debbie's, looking directly at Admiral Boone.

"Alright. Here's my numbers. Give me a call next week and I'll have you come down and look around. We're in Blacksburg, so that's where you'll be flying out of," Boone told her, meeting her eyes and locking on with a steady gaze as he handed over a business card before excusing himself.

"Beth, if he gives you any grief, give me a call," Harm told her.

"I'm not worried about him. Just as long as he judges me on my performance and not my personal life, we'll get along."

"Still, if you need to, don't hesitate to call. I can always sic the owner on him, if I have to?"

"Oh, and just how do you know the owner?" Beth asked with a smile.

"She's my daughter," Harm said, enjoying watching Beth and Debbie's reactions before launching into an abbreviated telling of how he'd met and adopted Mattie.

The party had started winding down, as people got ready to head out for their own Christmas Eve plans. The throwing of the bouquet was problematical, given the almost total lack of single women. They managed to muster up four, including Mattie, who had tried hiding until Grandma Sarah had seen her and escorted her to the group. Beth had her back to the group and tossed them over her shoulder, which was quickly followed by a loud shout from the women. Turning around, Beth saw that her toss had landed directly in the arms of Jennifer Coates, who had a stunned expression on her face.

For the garter toss, the crowd was somewhat larger. Harm, for his part, had taken careful note of where everyone was before turning around. When he tossed the garter, it was aimed away from where Jack Keeter had stationed himself, since Harm knew that part of the tradition was for the man who caught the garter to put it up the leg of the woman who'd caught the bouquet, with the higher it went reflecting on how long the marriage would last. He had no intention of inflicting Jack on someone like Jen Coates. So it was that his toss managed to sail right into the hands of Sturgis Turner, who almost immediately was thankful for his dark complexion as he felt himself flush.

Fortunately, Jen realized the situation and took matters into her own hands once she was seated. Sturgis knelt somewhat nervously before her, as she lifted her leg so he could pass the garter over her foot and proceed. Seeing that he wasn't moving, she whispered softly towards him.

"Commander, get with the program, Sir. Think of this as an assignment to be completed and forget everything else," Jen told him before offering her leg once more.

This time, Sturgis completed the task and began moving the garter up the leg. He kept looking at Coates, waiting for a signal that he had gone far enough, but she just held his gaze. Finally, when the garter was almost halfway up her thigh, he stopped to cheers from the men. Jen, for her part, took a rose from the bouquet and gave it to him, along with a kiss on the cheek before walking back to her table. Privately, she looked on catching the bouquet as something of a joke, considering her social life was so lacking at the moment. If she was supposed to be the next one married, there was going to be a fairly long wait.

Harm and Beth made a final walk around the room, thanking everyone for having come to the wedding. With that, it was time for them to leave. Their plans were to spend Christmas morning with their families out at their house, before leaving for a short honeymoon that evening. They would be back in Falls Church on the twenty-eight, before flying to London on the twenty-ninth. That way, they could be moved into their rental home before the New Year and be ready to report for duty on the second of January.

As for their house here, Harm had found the perfect solution. Sturgis would house sit for them, living on the first floor of the house. All of their personal belongings would be moved to the second floor. Harm knew Sturgis well and knew that the house would be in good hands. Sturgis would even drive the Corvette and other cars occasionally, which would save Harm and Beth the trouble of getting them running again whenever they moved back. They planned to rent a car during their time in London, since their home would be so close to work that they'd be able to walk back and forth on most days. A car would only be needed for trips outside of London and either buying one or having one shipped over seemed like a waste of money to them, at the moment.

With that, the happy couple departed. Harm had one stop he wanted to make on the way back to the house and Beth readily agreed. She knew that this yearly vigil was important to her new husband and she also wanted to pay her respects as well. The pair got some curious looks as they walked down the path to the Wall, finally stopping at the correct panel.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," Harm said. "I got married today, to a very special woman. Someone who loves all of me, someone who strengthens me and makes me want to be a better man. Dad, I want you to meet my wife, Elizabeth. Beth, this is my father, Lieutenant Harmon Rabb Senior."

Beth walked up to the panel and after kissing her fingertips, lightly traced the name.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," Beth said, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I just want to thank you for the wonderful man I was lucky enough to marry. He's my heart and soul, my everything and I have him because of you. I hope that next Christmas when we visit, we'll be able to tell you you're going to have a grandson, one who'll carry on the family name."

Harm wrapped his arm around Beth, kissing her cheek as they spent several silent moments with their hands joined on top of the engraved name. Finally, they stepped back and said a silent farewell before walking back to the car and their future.


	26. Chapter 26

December 29, 2003

Washington Dulles International Airport – Dulles, Virginia

1550 Eastern

Harm and his family arrived two hours before their scheduled departure time, feeling fairly confident that they would have plenty of time to make it to the gate. The closer it had gotten to the day, the more excited Mattie had become about what she was calling "the grand adventure". Their first weekends in England were already tentatively scheduled by the teen, who had taken Harm's words to heart and wanted to tour the country. Oxford and Stratford on Avon were the first places on her list, followed by Canterbury and Greenwich. Harm and Beth had both been amused by the enthusiasm evidenced by the list and had agreed to try and make the trips, while also explaining that the process of getting settled in their new posts and the new house might mean those trips would be postponed slightly.

Mattie had taken that information in stride, by simply saying they could make the trips as soon as time permitted. She had also been encouraged by the new camera that Frank and Trish had gotten her for Christmas, a digital one that she could use to send them pictures through the internet. Grandma Sarah, for her part, had insisted on physical photos, saying that she didn't really understand the internet and computers. Her Christmas present for the teen had been a watch and some diaries, saying that every young lady needed somewhere to write down her hopes and dreams. Mattie had smiled when she'd opened the first one and saw that Sarah had left her a little note: "For my very special great-granddaughter. Nothing is impossible as long as you believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. Love, Grandma Sarah."

The first delay came at the baggage check-in, where they had been forced to pay extra due to the number of suitcases they were taking with them. The rest of their clothes would be sent over through the Air Force, but not knowing when they would arrive had forced them to pack enough to survive a week. Harm and Beth also needed both civilian clothes as well as uniforms, which meant they were really carrying enough for two weeks. They had been careful in their planning, however, spreading the various clothes throughout the suitcases. This way, if one case got lost in transit, they would still have enough to make it.

After paying that, the trio had carried their carryon bags towards the security checkpoint. There, they joined the long line to get past the scanners. Beth made certain that they all had their passports and tickets before joining the line, knowing that they would not be passed without both. Their military ID cards were hidden at the bottom of the carryon bags, along with their credit cards and most of the traveler's checks they were taking with them. They each had about three hundred dollars cash in their pockets, so that they could get something to snack on while they waited to board the plane as well as pay for the taxi into London when they arrived.

Their flight was due to land around six in the morning, local time. So, Beth had made sure to get some British Pounds for their first couple of days in London. They were scheduled to meet the realtor tomorrow at ten in the morning and Harm had already wire-transferred the necessary funds for the first six months lease on the house. So, they would need enough money to get from the airport to the house and then to pick up some groceries for their first couple of days.

Their official passports had helped with the screeners, who seemed to figure that anyone with one of those and in uniform was unlikely to be a terrorist. Even though Beth was going to work at the Embassy, neither she nor Harm had diplomatic status and so didn't have a diplomatic passports. So, no parking wherever they might feel like or ignoring the laws while in England, not that either of them had intended on doing any such thing. With their carryon bags containing nothing more offensive than the latest romance novel for Beth and a historical novel for Harm, the family was quickly passed through and made their way down towards the gate for their flight.

Mattie stopped at one of the concourse gift shops to browse, with it being a few gates away from where their flight was leaving from. Harm and Beth took seats where they could keep an eye on the teen, not that they were particularly concerned. Mattie was a good kid, all told, and deserved to have a certain space to be herself. What was a little unnerving was all the stares they were getting, until Harm realized it was the uniforms that were drawing the looks rather than them.

Finally, their flight was called and it was time to board. Harm smiled as he gathered Mattie and joined Beth for boarding, making their way to the first class seats that Frank had arranged for them as his and Trish's Christmas presents for Harm and Beth. Settling into the plush seats of the British Airways 747, Harm and Beth were next to each other with Mattie just across the aisle.

Once they were airborne, Harm and Beth pulled out their books while Mattie plugged into the aircraft's entertainment system. They both knew that the timing of the flight was going to wreak havoc with their body clocks, since they would arrive first thing in the morning while their bodies thought it was one in the morning and time to sleep. The best way to get through it was to sleep some while on the plane, so that they could be somewhat in sync with the local time when they landed. Then they would just stay up until their normal bed time tomorrow. Luckily, they had a couple of days for their bodies to get adjusted.

So, once they had finished dinner a couple of hours into the flight, Harm and Beth closed their eyes and went to sleep. Mattie watched them for a couple of minutes before deciding that they might have the right idea, even if she wasn't especially tired. Shutting off the movie, she removed the earphones and closed her eyes, too.

December 30, 2003

Grove End Road – London, England

0954 Greenwich/ 0454 Eastern

Pulling up outside the house, the taxi driver parked and got out to open the trunk. As he was removing the luggage, Harm and his family climbed out of the back and stretched. The drive in from Heathrow had been highly enjoyable, especially listening to the driver who had provided a wonderful running commentary after discovering it was their first time in England. He had offered to drive through the city on the way to their destination, showing them some sights. Harm had glanced at his watch and seeing as they were about well ahead of schedule, he had readily agreed to the suggestion.

Beth and Mattie had also enjoyed the trip into town, seeing much about London that they both knew they would come to love. Beth also silently planned to talk with Harm about possibly hiring the driver for other trips. He was better than most guided tours and it would be nice to have a private tour as opposed to a group one.

The front door to the house opened and a middle-aged woman stepped out with a smile on her face.

"Captain Rabb?" she asked politely.

"Ah, Mrs. Flence. A pleasure to finally meet you," Harm said as he turned from the taxi and extended his hand.

"Thank you, Captain. Shall we get your family inside and we can do the walk through and acceptance."

"Of course. Beth, if you would pay Bob, please. I'll move the luggage inside and then we can take a look around."

Beth turned to the driver and asked about the fare. Hearing his answer, she pulled the pounds from her pocket and counted out the necessary amount, then added another twenty percent to that figure as a tip. She also asked for a card, saying that the family was definitely interested in hiring him at other times during their stay. Bob thanked her and said that he was looking forward to hearing from her.

When the taxi pulled away, she turned to find Mattie waiting at the door for her. Walking inside, she found herself in a small entryway. To one side was the living room and the other was the kitchen. She saw that Harm and the realtor were in the living room and moved to join them.

"The house was cleaned just after Christmas and inspected by the owner's agent. All deficiencies are listed on this sheet," the realtor said as she handed over a copy of the form. "If you see anything not on the form, point it out to me. Any damage not on the form once we've signed it is your responsibility. I've also had the telephone service, satellite television and internet turned on for you, as of yesterday."

"Understood, Ma'am," Harm replied, looking at the form. With that, he and Beth started going through the house, room by room. Only a couple of additional items were found and noted, including that one of the burners on the range didn't work. After a quick call to the owner's agent, a service call was placed for that afternoon to make the necessary repairs. With that done, Harm read through the forms and signed, accepting the house's condition and finalizing the rental arrangement. The realtor smiled as she handed over the requested three sets of keys for the house and then left.

Once they were alone, the luggage was swiftly moved upstairs and unpacked. Uniforms were hung in the closets while the rest of the clothes went onto shelves. Mattie had squealed with joy when she discovered that she still had her own private bath. Beth had smiled at Harm when they heard the sound, wordlessly congratulating him on finding that for the teen. Harm took Beth's hand and pulled her to him for a kiss.

"Welcome to London, Mrs. Rabb," Harm said when they separated.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Rabb," Beth replied before leaning in for another kiss, which became increasingly passionate as their arms wrapped around one another. Their kissing might have continued indefinitely if not for a laughing voice from the doorway.

"If you guys are going to make out, could you at least close the door," Mattie called out, before quickly closing the aforementioned door. She kept laughing as she made her way down to the living room and settled in on the couch. Turning on the television, she started flipping through the channels looking for something to watch. She figured she had some time before her parents joined her. Finally finding a movie that was just starting, she leaned back into the cushions and watched.

When Harm and Beth finally came down, the movie was most of the way over. Mattie saw that they had changed from their uniforms into civilian clothing, which seemed to indicate that they would be going out somewhere. However, they just joined her on the couch and watched the rest of the movie. It was only when it was finished that Harm took the remote and turned the television off.

"After the repairman comes, why don't we all go for a walk around the area?" Harm asked. "Get out and see what's in the neighborhood?"

"Isn't it a little cold to be going for a walk?" Mattie asked with a grin.

"So we bundle up. Beside, we need to see if there is a grocery store nearby, so we can get some food in here for the next few days. Unless you're not hungry, Mattie?"

The look on the teen's face showed how unlikely that was. However, whatever reply the teen might have made was lost to the knock on the door that announced the repairman. The man was well briefed on what needed to be done and after being shown to the kitchen, quickly went to work on the range. Turning off the gas, he removed the defective burner and replaced it with a new one before putting the gas back on and reigniting the pilot light. After testing the burner and making certain it worked properly, he moved on to the other defects that had been listed. In all, it only took him two hours to get everything taken care of and then he left.

The Rabbs soon followed, with Mattie holding a street map of London and trying to act as guide. Harm and Beth decided to allow it for the moment, while also keeping track of the route back to the house. Eventually, they ended up on a street edged with shops and began looking for a grocers or market. When they came to one, the family walked in with relief and began collecting a few things to get them by. It was as they were waiting for checkout that Beth spotted something interesting. There was a small flier that advertised home delivery of the groceries, as long as the order was over a certain amount. So, she asked the cashier about it.

"Yes, Ma'am. Depending on the plan you choose it can be every day of the week or just during the middle of the week," the cashier said.

"Until how late?"

"It all depends on what slots are available on that particular day but we do deliveries until around 8 in the evenings."

So, Beth quickly signed the family up for the home delivery program. This way, they could order their groceries and not have to worry about trying to carry several heavy bags home. For today, since they only had a couple of bags each, they could easily walk them back home. When they got there, she and Harm would make a larger order for everything that they would need, which was literally everything.

By the time they got back to the house, it was getting dark outside. This meant an end to the day's looking around the neighborhood, since none of them wanted to take the chance of getting lost. Now, it was time to relax before dinner and an early evening. Given the events of the last couple of days, Harm was fairly certain that everyone would sleep well tonight and hopefully when they all woke up in the morning, their body clocks would be on something close to the right time. They would need to be by January second when he and Beth reported for duty.

**Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.**

**-Sir Winston Churchill**

**A/N: A Thousand Thank Yous go out to all who've stuck with this story since the beginning. To the wonderful reviewers, whose words have meant so much to me. Fear not, however, for I am slowly working on a sequel ( or sequels) to this story which I hope will be enjoyed as much as this story was.**


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